Look at me with your eyes closed
by cherry fantasy
Summary: #ON HOLD, see profile# For Atemu, school is far from pleasant : popular kids see him as a nerd and always bully him. But after a summer break transformation, everything changes. Oh my God, who's this gorgeous new student ? /AU, YAOI/ SetoxYami
1. The strongest survives

**A/N : Ok, so, this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic. I've had this idea in mind for a while and I just had to write it. I hop****e it hasn't been used already. The last thing I want is to steal someone's idea. But my story is probably gonna be different anyway... Oh well, I just wanted to mention it. I enjoy writing fics and I hope you'll like this one ! Send a lot of reviews, I just love them ! **

**Disclaimer : **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its official characters. But why oh why is life so cruel with me ?

**WARNINGS : **This fic is AU, so there will probably be some OOCness. It also contains YAOI, meaning maleXmale relationship. You've been warned. Don't like, don't read. Flames will be royally ignored.

There will also be Tea (Anzu in japanese) -bashing. Not that I don't like her, in fact I think she's kind of nice, but for this story it's gonna be like that. Sorry Tea's fans ! I'm sorry ! But no flames, ok ?

**Pairings : **Seto/Yami(Atemu), maybe others too. Just read and see !

**Just so you know, for the most part I'll use the english names of Yu-Gi-Oh, Ok ?**

**Well, that's about it. Now on with the fic ! **

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**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

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**Full summary :** For Atemu, school is far from pleasant. The popular kids see him as a nerd and he's always being bullied. But when he goes through a stunning transformation during summer break, everything changes. Oh my God, who's this gorgeous _new_ student ? It's none other than Atemu, now calling himself Yami. Suddenly thrown into the popular crowd, praised and courted, Yami finally gets to taste love in the arms of his life-long crush, Seto Kaiba. But Yami will soon learn that a makeover isn't the answer to every problem, and that one cannot hide from their true self forever…

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**Chapter one : The strongest survives**

**Normal POV**

Have you ever thought that high school was like a jungle ?

No, seriously, it's not that hard to believe. Both are noisy, wild and disorganized. They can even get dangerous if you don't know how to survive in them properly. The only differences are that there's walls instead of trees and students instead of animals. Not that I'm comparing students to animals (even though some would fit the title and I'm sure you agree with me…). No, what I'm saying here is that both follow very similar rules, and one in particular that is probably the most important rule in both worlds : the strongest survives.

Now in the jungle, being the strongest is simply a matter of physical strength. In high school though, it's a bit more complicated. Of course physical strength can be very useful there too (which is where the "bullies" come from), but it's not just that ; you're among the strong ones if you're popular and cool, if you have good looks, if you're in one of the "fancy" groups that practically rule the school or if you have money. And if you fit in more than one of these categories then it's even better. But if you don't belong to any of them, that's when the law of the strongest kicks in.

Many students are average, not belonging to any of the popular gangs but not being picked upon either. Those are kind of neutral and just watch the action from afar without being noticed. However, some others aren't that lucky...

"Move it, dork !"

Atemu barely had the time to realize what was happening before someone brutally pushed him aside, resulting in him falling painfully on his butt and dropping all his books on the tiled floor. Every student in the hallway turned to see what was going on. Some started sniggering cruelly while others just gave Atemu pitiful looks. No one came to his aid, and really he hadn't expected them to. He was used to it by now.

As far as he could remember, Atemu had never had luck at school. Other kids were always seeing him as a nerd and were always picking on him for no reasons, just because they liked to make fun of him. And although it was a very depressing thought, he could understand why they were seeing him as such. First, his looks weren't helping : a messy mop of tri-coloured oily hair, big glasses that were practically hiding his eyes and the dreaded acne curse. He was skinny, shorter than other boys his age and his uniform was old, crumpled and a size too large for him, since he didn't have a lot of money and had been forced to take the "leftovers". He'd even had braces once but thankfully they were gone now.

At least he was smart… very, unusually smart. But that only served to inflame the others' jealousy and make them pick on him even more.

To make a long story short : Atemu's high school life generally sucked.

He looked up at the boy who had pushed him, trying to repress a sigh. Although he was used to being bullied, he sometimes wished it would stop. It was hurting something very deep inside of him, leaving a scar every time, even if he had learned to hide it well...

"What are ya lookin' at, loser ?" the boy above him suddenly snapped, interrupting his musings.

"Nothing" Atemu replied quietly, turning away and starting to pick up his books that were scattered on the floor.

His perpetrator's name was Vince Fortman, captain of the football team. He was tall, muscular and very popular. Unfortunately for Atemu, Vince had designated him as his favourite victim since the first time he had set foot in this school. The saddest thing was that almost all the other popular kids had followed his example.

Atemu was reaching for his last book when he felt someone grab his collar and lift him up roughly ; a second after that he was being slammed against the lockers hard enough to leave a bruise. He winced but didn't make a sound. He raised his gaze and sure enough it was Vince holding him by the collar of his shirt. The football captain glared at him and said :

"Don't ignore me, you moron, or I'll kick you so hard you won't even be able to walk for a month !"

Atemu stayed silent, not moving. He knew by now that talking back or struggling was only making things worse. He was doing it before, but when one day he had come home with a broken arm and a twisted ankle, he had decided that playing the emotionless doll was safer. Deep down he wanted to fight back, but he knew that he didn't have the required strength for it, and after the broken arm incident he had just given up trying. A broken bone really hurts a lot and he had no urge to repeat the experience.

"Now you listen to me, dork !" Vince pursued. "You're going to apologize to me right now or I'm so gonna beat the lights out of you !"

Oh no, what was he to do now ? He couldn't, _wouldn't _apologize for something so trivial, and even less to Vince of all people. But if he didn't, he knew that there would be heavy consequences...

He glanced around but all he saw was looks of pity or of cruel amusement. Thought so. Once again, he was on his own...

"What is going on here ?" suddenly came a cold voice from behind them.

Every gaze, including Atemu's, turned toward the sound, and everything fell silent.

There, standing tall and proud, was none other than Seto Kaiba himself. If you wanted someone more popular than Vince, Kaiba was the one. In fact, he was the most popular guy in the whole school, not that he seemed to care. He was tall and well built, with short chestnut hair and the most incredible blue eyes you had ever seen. The school uniform was looking so good on him it was almost putting all the others to shame. He was the young CEO of Kaiba Corp., the biggest company around, and he was totally loaded. In school, he was as cold and ruthless as he was at work. Most students feared and admired him, and all the girls were fawning over him like if he was a living god. Not that Atemu was blaming them.

Atemu had had a crush on Kaiba since the first time he had seen him. Not just because he was gorgeous, but also because Kaiba, despite being popular, had never tried to bully him and never made fun of him with the others. He was almost ignoring him, but Atemu didn't mind. He knew he didn't have the slightest chance with Kaiba and he was content with just observing him from afar...

With an air of authority emanating from his whole person, Kaiba slowly walked toward them, all the while glaring at Vince who didn't feel too big in his pants right now. The CEO stopped beside them, crossing his arms over his chest. The hallway was silent, everyone waiting to see what would happen next. Kaiba glanced at Atemu, then he looked at Vince and commented tonelessly :

"So, Fortman, still picking on people who can't fight back ? Quite cowardly of you, if I may say"

Everybody held their breath : insulting Vince was usually not recommended, not with the set of muscles he possessed. But it's true that if it came from Kaiba, it was another matter. Sure the young CEO was of slender built, and nowhere near as bulky as Vince, but it wasn't a secret that he was also a martial arts prodigy. He could probably beat the football captain to the ground with both hands tied behind his back.

Vince shifted nervously but didn't loosen his grip on Atemu's collar. Instead he retorted :

"What's it to you, Kaiba ? I can pick on whoever the Hell I want, and this one's my personal favourite !"

Kaiba unfolded his arms and took a step toward Vince. This one flinched as Kaiba asked with a voice as cold as ice :

"Are you talking back to me, Fortman ?"

Nobody could miss the silent warning in that tone, and even Atemu felt sorry for Vince at this moment. Kaiba just pursued coldly :

"I suggest you let him go right at this minute Fortman, or else I'll make sure you can't even pick on a two years old. Then I'll make your life so miserable you'll wish you had never met me, am I making myself clear ?"

Atemu saw Vince shiver as he suddenly released him and took a step back. They all knew that Kaiba was serious. That was the thing with Kaiba's threats : he really did have the power to apply them and wouldn't hesitate to do so. It was a scary thought...

Kaiba took one last look at Vince and said loud enough for everyone to hear :

"Now get out of my sight, and if I ever learn that you picked on this boy again I swear you'll hear from me, and it won't be good news"

Vince gulped and threw Atemu a hateful glare, then he turned on his heels and dashed off.

It was silent for a moment, every students still staring at them.

"The show's over" Kaiba said icily with a glare, and everyone quickly went back to their own affairs.

Atemu was feeling a bit better now, knowing that his secret crush had somehow defended him. He knew that it would be a very long while before Vince came back to torture him, if he ever did come back. Kaiba's word wasn't to be ignored, Vince knew that as well as everyone else. Atemu was very thankful, more than words could ever express, but he wasn't one to push his luck. With a shy glance at Kaiba, who was still standing beside him, he whispered softly :

"Thank you"

He then bent down and started gathering his books once again, since he had dropped them when Vince had pinned him to the lockers. He was about to take his last book when a hand grabbed it before him. He looked up and saw Kaiba handing him his science manual. He took it and raised a curious eyebrow, but the CEO just stared at him and answered quietly :

"You're welcomed"

Then he just turned and walked away.

Atemu was left standing there totally bewildered, a tiny blush colouring his cheeks. He wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, but had Seto Kaiba really just... _talked _to him ? He felt his heart racing in his chest and a smile slowly tried to creep its way to his lips. The bell rang and he made his way to his next class with a dreamy expression on his face, completely ignoring the insulting comments that were thrown at him. Those were normal too, and he didn't really pay attention to them anymore. Besides, right now he had such more important things to think about, like two beautiful dark blue eyes...

o0o

When lunchtime came, Atemu went outside to sit at his usual spot, which was under a sakura tree on the west side of the school. It was a calm and beautiful place he had discovered during his first year at Domino High (he was in his second year now), and he always came to eat here whenever the weather permitted it.

Atemu took a deep content breath ; today was a beautiful day, warm with a soft breeze blowing shyly in the air. It was the end of July and the summer vacations were approaching fast, much to everyone's joy. Only one week left and they would be free for six weeks.

Atemu sat under the sakura tree and grabbed his lunch. Luckily no one had stolen it today so he would be able to eat peacefully. Suddenly he heard someone call his name :

"Hey, Atemu !"

He turned to his right and smiled. Running toward him with a big grin on his face was his little brother Yugi, his friends Joey and Tristan close behind.

Yugi was of one year his junior, even if he looked much younger than that. He was very short, but aside from that it seemed he had gotten all the good looks in the family : his spiky tri-coloured hair was similar to Atemu's, except that it was soft and shiny. He had big innocent lavender eyes and a perfect smooth skin. He wasn't what you could call stunning, but he sure was adorable and his smile was totally irresistible. He was among the average students (so were Joey and Tristan) and his grades were very good.

One could've assumed that Atemu would be jealous of his little brother. One would've been wrong. Atemu loved Yugi with all his heart and this love was just as selflessly returned. The two brothers were very close. Yugi knew his big brother was being bullied and although he _had_ tried to help, there wasn't much he could do considering his strength and his height. That and the fact that Atemu had practically forbade him to interfere. He didn't want Yugi to be bullied too because of him, it would be worse than everything he could think of... Somehow Yugi had understood that and obeyed, even if it was making him very sad.

Luckily there was Tristan and Joey : they were both tall and they knew how to fight. They could hold their own against most of the other bullies, and they didn't hesitate to defend Atemu each time they had a chance. Of course they couldn't always be there, but when they were they always came to help and Atemu had made sure to thank them for that. He was happy to have such a good little brother and such wonderful friends by his side. It made his life a lot more bearable.

They came to sit beside him and started to unwrap their own lunch. Atemu saw Yugi glance at his meal as a look of relief passed on his face. Atemu knew why : his brother was relieved to see that no one had stolen his lunch today. When that would happen, Yugi would share his dinner with him but that didn't make a very big portion for either of them. One solution would be to buy more food but they couldn't afford it.

"So, how's it going ?" Yugi asked him with a smile while biting in his sandwich.

"Rather good actually" Atemu answered.

He was still thinking about how Kaiba had rescued him... well sort of. He blushed a little and avoided his brother's gaze. Yugi eyed him curiously and inquired :

"Really ? What happened ?"

Joey and Tristan also seemed curious. Atemu hesitated and finally told them what had happened in the hallway.

"Vince, that stupid prick !" Tristan ranted. "I'll smash his head in every walls of this school until each one has his face imprinted in it !"

"And you say that moneybags helped you ?" said Joey with a frown. "It's kinda hard to believe. He's such a stuck-up jerk most o' the time !"

"He's not !" Atemu immediately exclaimed vehemently.

They turned to him with surprised expressions ; Atemu never raised his voice under any circumstances, it was the first time they had heard him do it. Atemu noticed their confusion and bowed his head to hide his blush. Yugi examined him a moment then he asked softly :

"Atemu, is there something you're not telling us ?"

They didn't know about his crush for Kaiba, and he was kind of scared to tell them. He would, soon, but right now he wasn't ready.

He raised his head and smiled.

"It's nothing" he said gently. "Don't worry about it"

They didn't look convinced, but they let the matter drop, figuring he would tell them eventually.

Too soon lunchtime was over and they all returned to class. The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully except for the mockeries and snide remarks Atemu had to endure every day. Then finally school was over and everyone went home, Yugi and Atemu on foot because they lived close enough to walk home.

They both lived in a Game shop with their grandfather, since their parents had died in a car accident when Yugi was barely three years old. It was M. Sugoroku, their grandpa, that had then taken them in and raised them until now. He was a very kind man, and his grandsons and his shop were the most precious things in his life.

Their house wasn't very big : on the first floor there was the shop at the front, then the kitchen and the living room at the back. There was a small room in between that served as some kind of back shop. On the second floor there was the bathroom and two bedrooms, one for Sugoroku and the other one that Atemu and Yugi were sharing. Their home was small but clean and comfortable, and they liked it very much.

"Hi grandpa !" Yugi said cheerfully when they entered the shop. "We're home !"

The little bells jingled again as the door closed behind them. Sugoroku stood behind the shop's counter, and Atemu immediately noticed the huge grin he was wearing on his face.

"Hey there boys !" he greeted them, his smile widening and his eyes shining.

That's when Yugi also noticed his grandfather's behaviour. He raised an eyebrow and asked :

"Wow grandpa, mind telling us what's making you so happy ?"

The old man just smiled more and winked at them. Then he walked to the door they had just closed, taking the sign that said "OPEN" and turning it to the side that said "CLOSED". After what he replaced the sign on the door and turned to them.

"Boys" he started with sparkles in his violet eyes, "I have a very good news to announce you..."

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**A/N : Review and review, please !**

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	2. The big news

**A/N : Hi ! How's it going ? Good I hope. Anyway, I just wanted to answer to some reviews I received :**

**StickmanRVR : **I know, I'm so mean with Atemu... Sorry ! But it'll get better, you'll see ! Just keep reading ! And thanks a lot for your review !

**dimonyo-anghel : **What do you say we create a "let's-kill-Vince" club ? No, seriously, I know he's a total jerk. But Kaiba sure showed him didn't he ? Go Kaiba ! As for your guess on the news, you're very very close ! Just read this chapter and you'll see what I mean ! Oh and thank you for your review, don't hesitate to do it again !

**Hikari Rio : **Hum so yeah, Yami's a nerd... Please don't be mad at me, because I don't plan to leave it like that! You are right, he _will_ become a pretty butterfly ! And a _very_ pretty one at that ! Believe me, you won't be disappointed ! Thank you very much for reviewing, please do it again !

**A big thanks to all those I didn't mention, I loved your reviews too ! You guys all rock !**

**Oh yeah, here is how old the characters are in my story :**

Yugi : 15 / Atemu(Yami) : 16 / Kaiba : 17 / Joey : 16 / Tristan : 16 / Mokuba : 12 / Tea : 16

Vince is my character, and I give him... 17, like Kaiba.

**Ok, now on with the second chapter...**

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**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

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**Chapter two : The big news**

**Normal POV**

"A news ?" Yugi asked innocently. "What kind of news ?"

Atemu was wondering the same thing. Their grandfather was so happy he looked just about ready to start pouncing all over the place… and Atemu was sure that wouldn't it have been for his old age, Sugoroku would've done just that.

Instead of answering Yugi, their grandpa just walked back to his counter and took something on it. Then he came back to them and gave the _something_ to Atemu.

"A lottery ticket ?" this one said with a confused frown.

He glanced at Yugi who just shrugged, as clueless as him. They didn't even know that Sugoroku was playing at the Lottery ! Then his grandpa practically snatched the ticket from Atemu's hands and waved it before them with a big smile still gracing his features.

"It is not a mere _lottery ticket_, my boy !" he exclaimed cheerfully. "It's a **winning** one !"

Yugi and Atemu looked at each other then back at their grinning grandpa, totally stunned. Finally, Yugi asked :

"You... you won at the Lottery ?"

"Yes !"

"Are you sure ?" Atemu added, still a bit awe-struck.

"Totally certain ! I checked it five times over !" his grandfather answered.

"Oh my God..." Yugi whispered softly, a smile similar to his grandpa's appearing on his lips.

Atemu was feeling quite excited too. They didn't have a lot of money, and that unexpected bonus would surely help them greatly. Adding his smile to the two others, he said :

"That's a wonderful news grandpa ! But tell me, how much did you win ?"

"Yes, how much ?! How much ?!" Yugi urged happily, jumping up and down.

Sugoroku's smile widened even more, if possible, and he took a deep breath before releasing the bomb :

"30 million dollars."

Atemu's jaw hit the floor and Yugi fainted.

o0o

**Seto's POV**

I walked through the doors of the Kaiba Corporation's building and headed directly toward the elevator, completely ignoring the fearful looks I received from my employees and the seductive smile I received from the young woman sitting at the reception. I admit she was rather pretty, with her dark brown locks and long legs, but unfortunately for her I didn't swing that way. And even if I did, I certainly didn't have time for a meaningless flirt, while a long-term relationship was totally out of the question.

I stepped in the elevator and pushed the necessary buttons ; they composed a secret code giving me access to the last floor of the building. It was a private floor where my office was situated, and no one was allowed on it beside me and my personal secretary. Oh, and my little brother of course.

I sighed. Mokuba was probably already home waiting for me, since I had told him I would try to be there for supper. Personally, and although it made me feel like a total jerk, I doubted I would be able to make it in time. I _would_ try, just like I had promised, but I had a lot of work and it would most likely keep me here until late in the evening. Like always. That was the price for being the CEO of a big company like Kaiba Corp.

I felt so bad knowing that I would probably leave Mokuba to a solitary meal in our huge mansion once again. And once again, I would only come home at some late hour of the night, and Mokuba will have gone to sleep already. It was always like that, and from what I could see it wasn't about to change. It was a secret for no one, not for Mokuba or even for myself, that I was a total workaholic. I had tried to be different, I really did, but I had failed. Just like I was failing Mokuba.

Oh of course I always made sure my little brother was well-clothed, well-fed, well-educated, well-treated, and a whole bunch of other things like that. Mokuba acted as if he was okay with it, and during the times we passed together (which weren't that numerous), he always smiled, being his usual cheerful self and pretending that everything was fine. But I knew that it wasn't so. What Mokuba really wanted was for me to be there more often, to pass time with him. But sadly, that was one of the rare things that I couldn't give him...

I loved Mokuba dearly, in fact he was the only person I truly cared for. Our parents had died when we were just kids, and our step-father had been a total fanatical tyrant, but thankfully he was dead too. Mokuba was all I had left, and everything I had ever done was for him. But despite all that, I still couldn't bring myself to take a break from work. I just had so much to do… All I accomplished at work assured me and especially Mokuba a safe future.

The elevator's doors finally opened, bringing me out of my musings. I stepped out and nodded politely to my secretary ; she was a young woman with short blond hair and bright green eyes. I had chosen her not only because she was very smart, but also because unlike the other women in this building she wasn't worshipping me like a frickin god, something that I found utterly exasperating.

Susan, that was her name, was happily married and the mother of a beautiful little girl, she had shown me some pictures. She was one of the few who had earned my respect, and I was always very pleased with her work, something very rare coming from me.

"Susan." I greeted respectfully.

"M. Kaiba." She greeted back with a gentle smile.

I passed by her desk silently, not bothering to smile back. I knew she wasn't offended ; she was used to my attitude.

I headed for the double doors separating my office from hers. I slid my key card in the electronic lock, making the small red light turn to green for a brief moment. I then opened the right door and stepped in, making sure to close behind me.

My office was large and very modern looking, not to mention that it was always strictly organized and neat. The walls were white and a cream carpet covered the floor. The main piece of furniture was an imposing U shaped desk made of shiny black metal ; it stood in the middle of the room, facing the doors. Behind it was a big cushioned leather chair, also black. Before the desk were two other chairs, those ones much simpler looking and cream in colour.

The right wall was entirely occupied by black shelves filled with books and a potted plant in the far corner. Against the left wall was a black leather couch, flanked by another potted plant and a filing cabinet. A low glass table was placed just before the couch, and on the wall above it were some abstract paintings in black and white.

The far wall, behind my desk, actually consisted of four large floor-to-ceiling windows. Cream curtains could be closed over them, but I always kept them wide open ; it gave an astonishing vue of the city below. A vue that was quite impressive, considering we were on the fortieth floor. It was what I liked the most about this room.

I walked toward my desk and set down my ever-present briefcase on it, then I went to stand before the windows. For a while I just stared outside, thinking.

I was aware that a lot of people envied me for all I had, all that power and money, and at such a young age too. They also envied my intelligence, that I knew was way above average. I was gifted, people said, I was a prodigy. They said that I was lucky, that I had everything. But somehow, I couldn't bring myself to agree with them. Despite all I possessed, I still felt like I was lacking something. Something important... I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Sighing deeply, I turned from the windows and went to sit behind my desk. Opening my laptop, I started to work. Strangely though, as my fingers mechanically flew over the keys, my mind slowly drifted back to what had happened at school today...

School. Why did I even bother to go there again ? I already had a job, a very good one at that, and even if I was to lose it (which was more than unlikely), I already had so much money that it wouldn't really be a problem. So why go to school...? Oh yes, because the government officials insisted that I was to get a proper education. I wouldn't have to go to the university, but I would have to at least complete high school. Pfff... From my own opinion, it was a total waste of time. I already knew more about what was taught than the teachers themselves. Those old governmental geezers were just jealous...

Anyway, about today : why in hell had I helped that boy ? I didn't even know him ! He was a nerd from head to toe, that was obvious to anyone who laid eyes on him. Normally, I don't associate with such people, even less _help_ them. Seto Kaiba doesn't help anyone. I had agreed to go to school, yes, but not to _make friends_ (just the thought made me shudder) with any of the students. Since I was there I had been nothing but cold and/or rude with every last one of them, but for some reason they still adored me and followed me around like lost puppies. And the girls... oh my god I didn't even want to think about them. I think a few of them have created some sort of fanclub about me... Now, it takes a lot to scare me off, but that was on the very edge of it.

But once again, I'm wandering from the subject. What I wanted to know was why I had felt the need to help that boy... Maybe the fact that Vince Fortman was the one bullying him had played a part in it ? I had always hated that stupid bonehead... But then again it was most certainly not the first time Fortman was bullying someone, and I hadn't interfered before. So why today ? And why for that nerdy boy in particular ? It was beyond my understanding. If he had been cute at least, it could've been an explanation. After all, I _was_ gay, and no I wasn't ashamed to say it. We were in the 21st century, for God's sake !

But I didn't even have that excuse ; that boy had been all but cute, although... I had to admit there _had_ been something about him... Something... intriguing. He had acted so proudly, even though the situation hadn't really been at his advantage. It had been visible on his face that he wanted to fight back, but knew that he didn't have the strength necessary to do so. Nevertheless, he had looked Fortman in the eyes and held his gaze without wavering. I had been... impressed, to be honest. That boy had spirit, and... again that something else that I couldn't seem to name. The only thing I'd known at that moment was that I didn't want to see that boy get beaten by an idiot like Fortman. I didn't want to see that proud creature bruised and broken. Somehow, it would just have been terribly wrong...

I wish I could've just seen his eyes. But because of those big glasses, it had been practically impossible. Strangely, I was a bit disappointed. I had the feeling that his eyes could've told me a lot of things... Things I needed to know...

Then again, maybe I was just turning crazy. Maybe my lack of proper sleep was finally catching up to me.

I glanced at my computer screen and realized with surprise that I was already well advanced in my work. I looked at the clock ; I still had much time to spare before supper.

I smiled a little, something only Mokuba had been allowed to see so far. As incredible as it sounded, today it seemed I would be home in time. Mokuba would be so happy... There was just one thing bothering me.

Why did I suddenly have the feeling to owe that boy from school ?

o0o

**Atemu's POV**

I was still in shock, I think. Come on, how would _you_ feel if your parents (or grandparents) told you they had just won 30 million dollars ? I know it would be big for anyone, but for us who hadn't seen a lot of money in our lives, it was almost an impossible concept to grasp. But note the _"almost" _word. We _could _understand the meaning of such a sum. The proof was that I still hadn't moved a muscle since a good ten minutes and that Yugi was still unconscious on the floor with Grandpa trying to wake him up.

Finally, Yugi started to groan lightly and that got me out of whatever frozen state I'd been in.

"Urg... Wha...? Grandpa ? What happened ?" my little brother asked, still a bit dazed.

"I just announced you that we had won 30 million dollars." Grandpa answered casually.

I choked on my own breath and Yugi almost fainted again. Ah Grandpa, so tactful...

"30... 30 million dollars ?!" Yugi finally exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"That's the number." Grandpa confirmed with a smile.

"But... but..." Yugi stuttered. "That's **huge** !" he finally blurted out.

"I know."

"Oh my god... oh my god... oh my god..." Yugi started rambling.

"Grandpa," I said, finding my voice again, "that's a very large amount of money. What are we going to do with all that ?"

Grandpa looked up at me with a very serious gaze and answered softly :

"Oh I already have some things planned... starting with you, Atemu."

That got Yugi's attention too and he stopped rambling to eye grandpa curiously.

"Me ?" I asked, a bit lost.

"Yes, you."

"…what do you mean ?"

Grandpa took a deep breath and helped Yugi (who was still sitting on the floor) to stand up, then he said calmly :

"Follow me. I think you and I have some things to discuss."

And with that, he headed toward the living room. Yugi glanced at me ; I just lifted my shoulders in confusion. Then we followed grandpa to the living room, where he already sat on the couch waiting for us. We sat beside him, Yugi in the middle. For a moment, he just observed us, not saying a word. Finally, he turned to me and asked, still very calmly :

"Atemu, why have you never told me you were being bullied at school ?"

My breath hitched and my fists clenched on the couch's fabric. How could he have known ? Yugi threw me a panicked look that I returned full force. This was not good...

It was true, though. We had never told him. Yugi had wanted to at first, and even I had thought of it, but then we had decided that it would just make grandpa worry too much, so we kept it for ourselves. Yes Grandpa was an energetic man, but he wasn't all that young anymore, and we had thought that maybe all that worry wouldn't be good for him.

"So ? I'm waiting." he added a little more firmly.

I jolted a little at the sound of his voice ; he sounded hurt and a bit angry, and I think I could understand why... I felt so bad right at that moment... Because I hadn't told him... because I didn't think he could help... no one could... But grandpa... I'd hurt him by doing that... And now he was angry at me...

I saw he was still looking at me intently. I opened my mouth, but my voice caught in my throat... And to my own shame, I felt my eyes beginning to sting...

"I..." I croaked out, but to my horror my voice broke and the tears started to fall.

Feeling like the biggest idiot on this Earth, I drew my knees to my chest and encircled my legs with my arms. Bowing my head in shame, I said between my sobs :

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Yugi immediately moved closer and hugged me fiercely. Letting go of my legs, I clung to him tightly, seeking reassurance in his touch, my whole body now quivering with sobs.

"Shhh... don't cry Atemu... shhh... it's Ok... please don't cry..." Yugi whispered, trying to sooth me.

It worked a little ; my sobs calmed, but the tears continued to fall. I didn't know why I was suddenly breaking down like this... I think everything was finally catching up to me, just with grandpa's simple question. The way I was treated at school... All those people laughing at me... Their insults, their cruel comments, their talk behind my back when they thought I wasn't listening... And even sometimes, their physical abuse... How many times had I come home with scratches and bruises ? They were so mean with me... But why ? I hadn't done anything wrong ! Why were they doing this...? Didn't they see how much it hurt me ? Didn't they care ? No, most probably they didn't. Wasn't I even worth caring about ?

Those thoughts were swirling in my head, making more tears fall... Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore, and I wanted it to end. I started sobbing again, painfully and heavily. I felt Yugi tighten his hold on me, and I caught a glance of him ; he was close to tears himself. I mean, he had seen me cry a little before, after all he was always the one consoling me. But never had he seen me have a total break down like this. I think it scared him a little, but he never let go of me. He hugged me even tighter. It almost hurt, but I never wanted him to let go...

Then I felt the weight shift on the couch, and I glanced aside only to see Grandpa sit on the other side of me, so that I was now in the middle, between him and Yugi. I felt him hug me too and I relaxed a bit, feeling safer now that I was between them.

They waited for me to calm down, which took quite a long time... But they never left my side even a single second. Finally, it was over, and I raised my arm to wipe the tears from my face, feeling weak after that giant outburst. Nonetheless, I think I'd needed it. All this hurt had been bottled up inside of me for too long, it just had to come out eventually.

By then Yugi had cried too, I think, and I felt a bit guilty about making him cry... But he still kept a firm hold on me, and I was grateful for that.

Grandpa stroke my back soothingly and said softly :

"You could have told me, you know ? I would have tried everything in my power to help."

At this the tears threatened to fall once more, but this time I held them back. I turned to him and answered with a trembling voice :

"I know... I'm so sorry grandpa..."

"It's okay." he told me with a gentle smile, still stroking my back. "It's passed now. No need to dwell on it."

I sniffled and managed a weak smile too. Yugi loosened his hold but didn't let go. Then he said :

"You know grandpa, it's my fault to. I knew but I'd promised Atemu I wouldn't tell. And... I didn't want to break that promise."

I looked back at him gratefully and he smiled. Grandpa just sighed and rolled his eyes playfully before saying :

"Yes, I had supposed so. You two are impossible, really !"

He grinned at us and Yugi laughed ; I felt so much better then, like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. Then Yugi stopped laughing and asked with a confused frown :

"Hum, grandpa ? No offence but what does all this have to do with the money you won ?"

I blinked. Oh my, I had completely forgotten about that money. _'Jee...' _I thought to myself, _'I must've been __**really**__ distressed to forget about 30 million dollars...'_

Beside me, Grandpa laughed and said :

"Oh yes, of course !" He then took on a more serious tone and pursued : "But first, let me tell you that I started suspecting what was going on with Atemu quite some time ago, although I only became sure when you came home one day with that big bruise on your left cheek."

I winced at the memory, and I felt Yugi tighten his hold on me once again. Grandpa continued calmly :

"You gave me the lamest excuse as to where you'd gotten it and that's when I understood. You know Atemu, I'm not stupid. I knew what kind of situation you were in and even though I would've tried my hardest, I know there wasn't much I could've done... back then. But now, it's different."

I looked up at him curiously and he gave me that one big smile from earlier. Then he said :

"Do you know what I'm gonna offer you with that money, Atemu ? A transformation. A total makeover !"

I stared at him unbelievingly and a bit fearfully.

"You... you mean that one with all the surgical operations and such ?"

He chuckled and answered softly :

"No, not that one. Come on Atemu, your case isn't _that_ drastic !"

I let out a sigh of relief and Grandpa chuckled again, before pursuing :

"There will be no surgical interventions, but aside from that it _will _be an extreme makeover. What do you say ? I know that it's not the answer to everything, but it will certainly take away the biggest and scariest part of your problem. I have a loyal friend back in Egypt who owns this famous Beauty Salon ; she could do your makeover during the summer vacations. Of course it's very expensive, but that's hardly an issue now ! It will barely scratch the surface of what we've won !"

He winked at me as I slowly tried to process everything he'd just told me...

"So ? What do you think ? Are you up to it ?" he asked me.

Yugi, who was now smiling from ear to ear, exclaimed :

"Of course he's up to it ! Aren't you Atemu ?"

"I don't know, Yugi..." I answered weakly.

Everything was going a bit fast here, and I was feeling kind of overwhelmed. But of course Yugi, as the wonderful little brother that he is, understood immediately what I was going through (sometimes I wonder how he does that, really...). He slowly released me and slid to the floor. Then he moved to kneel before me and took my hands in his, joining them on my lap. After that he looked up at me and said softly :

"Don't be afraid, Atemu. I know it's all happening very quickly, and I too am a bit shocked. But just think about it for a moment. No rush, no pressure, don't forget that no one here is forcing you to do anything. Just think : wouldn't you like to undergo that transformation ? It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to me. You know, all I want is for you to be happy, big brother, and I'm positive this would help make you happier..."

Then he smiled at me and waited for my reaction. Grandpa just stayed silent, waiting too, I suppose.

I decided to follow Yugi's advice. I slowly calmed my racing heart, then I thought about all my little brother had just told me. I re-passed it in my head over and over, thinking about all the possibilities... In the end, I found myself smiling happily, looking down at Yugi who was still waiting patiently. I smirked and said :

"You know, little brother, you could probably make a good psychiatrist."

His eyes sparkled and he retorted :

"Does that mean you'll do it ?"

"Yes doctor." I mock answered.

Then suddenly I was tackled by an overjoyed and laughing Yugi who hugged me like his life depended on it.

"You'll see, it'll be so great !" he exclaimed. "I'm sure you won't regret it !"

Grandpa just laughed at Yugi's antics and declared :

"In that case I'm going to call my friend right now !"

And with that he left the living room, smile still on his face.

Yugi released me and moved back to sit beside me on the couch. I smiled at him and he smiled back. Then he raised his hand and poked me hard on the side.

"Ow !" I whined. Then I turned my affronted stare on him and asked : "What was _that_ for ?"

"_That_, mister, was for daring to call _me _a psychiatrist !"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled lightly. Yugi was really something to be around...

"Ah, little brother, what would I do without you ?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, for starters, you'd have to eat all of Grandpa's very personal version of chilli con carne all by yourself !"

I flinched at the thought and he burst out laughing.

* * *

**A/N : Next chapter, it's the big transformation for Atemu ! Just a little tip : he'll name himself Yami **_**after**_** the makeover, and 'Atemu' will be thrown aside for a while. ****Anyway, don't miss it !**

**R&R, please !**

* * *


	3. Come out, pretty butterfly

**A/N : Ok, so here's chapter 3 again. I posted it a second time because I made some changes in it (though not a lot). I realized that Atemu's transformation (and some other little things) was kinda unrealistic on some points, so I made some corrections. I know it may still not be perfect, but really that's the best I could come up with. At least this version is more belivable. I personally like it more this way so I won't change it again.**

**You're not forced to read the chapter again if you were Ok with the last version, but maybe if you want you could just take a look at Atemu's POV, that's where I made the changes. But really, that's your decision.**

**A big thank you to ****Blue September****, your comments were very helpful and I really appreciated ! Hope you'll like the changes I made ! Review again !**

**And still thanks to ****Hikari Rio****, who gave me the idea for this chapter's title. I love you dear !**

**Thanks to all my other reviewers, and don't worry I'm almost finished with chapter 4, so it should be posted tomorrow at the latest. Don't miss it !**

**Ok, so now let's take look at those changes... **

* * *

**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

* * *

**Chapter three : Come out, pretty butterfly !**

**Normal POV**

Their last week at school before the summer vacations passed rather quickly. Unfortunately Atemu had to suffer a special goodbye from the popular students, which meant more cruel remarks and pushing around. But as usual he just stayed impassive, doing his best to ignore it. Hopefully, he thought, after his special trip to Egypt during summer break, all this would change for the best...

Atemu still wasn't entirely sure about the whole thing, but Yugi and his grandfather had managed to convince him. They hadn't told Joey and Tristan yet, since Yugi had decided it was meant to be a surprise. Atemu had to admit it, this makeover thing did sound very exciting. And anyway, there was no turning back now ; the plane ticket was reserved and his name was registered in the _"Reveal your inner beauty !" _transformation program. It was a big step for him, but he was ready to make it.

Sadly, he hadn't seen Kaiba at school lately. He'd heard that Kaiba Corp. was in the middle of a huge transaction with another company, and as the CEO Seto was very busy with the matter. He was the only student that could be exempted of school for business duty. If he missed tests or exams it would just be sent to him, then he would do it and send it back for correction. He always passed them with maximum results anyway. At least, Atemu thought, they had that one point in common.

Nonetheless, he would've liked to see Kaiba one more time before going to Egypt... Oh well, he would have to do without it.

The one thing that had went well though was that Vince hadn't even approached him during the week. Atemu wondered if it was because he feared what would come to Seto's ears or if he was just plotting some kind of revenge...

Finally, to everyone's relief, the week was over, and their first weekend of vacation greeted them with warm and bright sunny days. Then, on Monday morning, it was time for Atemu to take his flight in destination of Cairo, Egypt. Yugi and Sugoroku accompanied him to the airport, giving him last minute instructions and long goodbye hugs.

"I'm so eager to see how you'll look like when you come back !" Yugi said, grinning like a madman and practically bouncing on his feet. "I'm sure you'll be gorgeous ! You'll put all the world top models to shame !"

Atemu blushed and thought that Yugi was exaggerating way too much, but he nodded and smiled to him nonetheless.

When it was time for his plane to take off, Atemu hugged them once more after promising to call them as often as possible to keep them informed. Then with one last wave of his hand, he was gone.

o0o

**Atemu's POV**

Egypt was the most incredible place I'd ever seen ; it was so exotic, so different, so strangely beautiful... It was full of new sights and scents, like if I had just stepped in another world, but although a bit overwhelming, all those new things were totally captivating. The people were different too, in a way, with their tanned skin and dark eyes for the most part. All those I had met so far were very nice and willing to help. Feeling a lot less nervous already, I told myself that whatever would be the outcome of this trip, I was sure to enjoy my stay in this warm Arabic country anyway. For some strange reason, I felt a strong connection to this place.

Grandpa's friend happened to be a beautiful woman named Isis Ishtar. She was the owner of the famous and luxurious Beauty Salon where my transformation would take place, and also where I would reside since Isis had one of the rooms reserved for me at Grandpa's request. My stay would last two months, which was the time needed to complete my makeover. I would miss two weeks of school, but Grandpa had said that he was okay with it and that it was for a good cause. Anyway, it wasn't really that bad. Wasn't I a straight A student ? Surely missing two weeks of class couldn't be such a big deal for me ? Oh well, too late for a change of plans now…

Isis was a very nice woman, which I discovered after she came to fetch me at Cairo's airport. She had that strange mysterious aura around her but she was very companionable nonetheless, and we became good friends in a matter of minutes. As we drove toward her Beauty Salon she answered to all my questions about the city with a gentle smile, and she even agreed to teach me some of the Egyptian language while I would be here. Then she told me a bit about herself, and I learned that her parents had died three years ago in a car accident, making her the legal tutor of her little brother Marik. He was presently studying in America since his desired courses couldn't be found in Egypt. From what Isis told me of him, he seemed to be kind of eccentric but it was clear in her voice that she loved him very much. I found myself musing on how similar our situations were, both orphans with little brothers to take care of...

We finally arrived at the Salon and I couldn't help but being impressed by its size and luxury. I had been warned of course, but let's face it, me, Yugi and Grandpa had lived pretty poorly before all that Lottery money had fallen upon us, and I was still unused to such display of wealth. But when I saw that my room was just as impressive, I told myself that if I wasn't use to luxury now, I would surely be by the end of this experience if I was constantly surrounded by such sought-after décors.

When all my things were settled, Isis came to me and said that my makeover was beginning then and there. First, she brought me to a woman that presented herself as my nutritionist. She took a general glance at me, made some little tests and then just like that she made a list of the things I would have to eat if I wanted to gain a bit more weight and look and feel healthier. I didn't mind, I liked almost everything. She told me I would have to follow these eating patterns for at least a couple of months if I wanted it to take a real effect, and I agreed politely.

Secondly, Isis took me to see a tall and muscular man called Rashid, who said he would be my gym teacher. He smirked at me and right then I knew that if there would be one place where I would most certainly not be sitting on my laurels, it would be during _his_ lessons... He gave me my schedule (which by the way said that I had to be at the gym at 6 o'clock every morning, 2 o'clock every afternoon and an additional 8 o'clock on weekends' evenings), then he took one last glance at me and left. I gulped nervously, praying the gods to help me survive his training...

Thirdly, we went to see another man, who to my surprise turned out to be Japanese just like me. He told me to call him Soujiro-sensei. He was old but he looked very wise, and there was that aura of strength around him that you just couldn't ignore even if you tried. He told me that he would be the one to teach me some very useful martial arts techniques. With a twinkle in his eyes he asked me if I was a fast learner, and I answered yes without an hesitation. It was true, after all. He seemed pleased by this and with a smile gave me another schedule ; we would meet every morning at 10 o'clock, which was one hour after my gym session, and every evening at 6.

Finally we went to see a young woman named Sinata. She happened to be a dermatologist and she told me that her role would be to take care of my skin and more precisely of my acne problem. I would have to come see her every day (except on the weekends) to follow her treatment until the end of my stay. And even after that I'd have to continue using a few products if I wanted the effects to last. Sinata told me not to worry though, and that she would give me some bonus tips and a list of what products I would need to buy after our last meeting. She left us with an encouraging smile ; she was very nice and I liked her already.

And so my transformation started ; for seven weeks, I followed every instructions given to me. It was hard at first, but I had the will to succeed and like I'd said to Soujiro-sensei, I was a fast learner and I quickly became used to my new train of life. I even managed to get along with my gym teacher. Rashid was a good guy, once you got to know him (and once you'd shown him that his rigorous training hadn't killed you yet). At a certain point he told me that he had apparently underestimated me and that I was tougher than I looked. He said he was impressed with the pace at which I was progressing and I felt very proud at his comment. It was the first time I was congratulated for something other than good grades... He made me promise to continue training regularly when I would be back home and I obediently complied.

Slowly but surely, I started to notice that everything they were making me do was indeed taking effect. Each of them was without doubt professionals in their fields, since whatever they were doing to me obviously worked. Although we weren't allowed mirrors (Isis had said it would spoil the surprise, and that I would only get to see myself during the last day of my stay), I could already tell that I had gained some much needed weight (though not too much, but it was there anyway) and that what I was seeing on my chest, arms and legs were definitely muscles. They weren't big (I think I liked it better that way, after all I didn't really want to turn into a second Arnold Schwarzenegger...), but they were solid and firm. Also, I now had a very good-looking tan from being under the Egyptian sun quite often.

I was also quite good at martial arts, and I could say my sensei was pleased with my progress. He said I was a very good student and that he would make sure to contact one of his friends in Domino (I had told him where I lived), who was also teaching martial arts, and to enrol me in said friend's dojo so that I could pursue my lessons when I would get back home. I was very happy to hear this and I thanked him warmly. As for Isis, she came to see me every day, teaching me how to speak Egyptian (she was a very good teacher and I assimilated her lessons easily) and she took me out in the city, showing me a lot of interesting things and telling me almost all there was to know about Egypt. I really enjoyed every moment of it.

I called Grandpa and Yugi as often as I could, telling them that I was okay and that everything was proceeding well. They told me they were OK too. I could say by Yugi's voice that he was even more excited than me to see what I would look like by the end of my stay. I could only smile at his enthusiasm.

My brother also let me know that the whole "winning at the Lottery" thing was being taken care of. I wasn't surprised to learn that the Japanese government had taken off a chunk of it because of taxes and such (like they would let us keep the whole sum, those little greedy thieves...), but Grandpa had really won a hell lot of money so there was still many millions left. Of course he wouldn't receive it all in one bunch, but at the end of the bargain it would all end up in his pockets nonetheless. Yugi told me that Grandpa even had three different bank accounts ready for delivery. If that wasn't being provident, I didn't know what it was.

They had already paid for my makeover, and I even learned that Grandpa had bought a new (and rather big) apartment for me and Yugi, downtown and closer to our school. When I asked him why, he just answered : _«I felt like offering you and your brother a gift, you know, to celebrate. You both deserve it and besides, that apartment will be more than practical for you two and you'll have more space to do your things. It's not like I'm chasing you away from the Game shop, you can still come anytime you like, but you and Yugi need your independence. Believe me, I know ! I remember what it was being a teenager !»_

I could only smile at that. Grandpa was right of course, even if he had a weird way of saying things... It's true that it would be great for me and Yugi to have our own place. As for Grandpa, well I knew that he wouldn't leave his shop even if he was the richest man on Earth. I would make sure to check on him regularly.

Finally, as the eighth and last week of my stay was almost over, Isis brought me to a part of her Beauty Salon I'd never seen before. She told me that it was time to use the _"heavy artillery"_. That scared me a bit but it turned out that she was only talking about the last touching up on my overall appearance.

She left me with some people who washed and arranged my hair, telling me what precise products I would have to use and how I'd have to do it if I wanted to obtain the same results at home. It wasn't too complicated and even seemed fairly easy, to my relief. Then, they treated my eyes with a laser so that I wouldn't need glasses anymore.

Last but not least came the make-up session ; I couldn't see the results myself (no mirrors allowed yet, remember ?), but one of the make-up girls described it to me as they applied it. First they used that vanilla scented cream that supposedly gave my skin a golden glow. Then with a soft little paintbrush, they applied black kohl around my eyes in perfect Egyptian style, saying it enhanced their unique color. They even went as far as to add a tiny bit of gloss on my lips.

When that was done they gave me a basket filled with all the products they had used on me, along with a sheet of instructions so that I could use them properly too. There was even some new products that had been selected specifically for me and that I was free to try if I so wished.

When I returned to Isis, she looked at me with wide eyes and I thought she looked about to faint. Luckily she regained herself quickly and after staring at me for a good five minutes, she sent me a bright happy smile and told me to follow her to our last stop.

Said last stop was a meeting with a professional stylist. She was a young woman named Kali with brown hair and eyes, and she greeted me with a friendly smile. She took my measurements, then she dragged us to an expensive clothes' store where she started picking an impressive amount of things for me to try.

I was astounded by the quality of the clothes : silk, satin, cashmere, and oh my God I had never seen so much leather ! Luckily there were some jeans, which I was a bit more familiar with. But it was obvious that leather was predominant. I wasn't sure about this, but decided to try it on anyway... Oh boy everything was so _tight_ ! But when I mentioned it to Kali, she answered that it was exactly how it was suppose to be. _«Don't be afraid to show a little bit more than necessary !» _she told me. I blushed, feeling her wink and hearing Isis chuckle on the other side of the fitting room's door.

Since almost everything Kali had chosen for me was fitting perfectly (to my own surprise it was actually quite comfortable), we bought it all (that meant _a lot_, and let me insist on _"a lot" _of clothes...). We also bought some shoes, which consisted of leather boots adorned with metal studs for the most part. Lastly Kali made me buy several accessories like belts, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and chokers. Then, we returned to the Salon with my new wardrobe, and call me crazy but I could've sworn that all the women and even some men were looking at me funnily...

I was wearing boots with black leather pants, two belts hanging at my waist and a tight dark blue sleeveless shirt. I also had on some bracelets, a long silver necklace with an ankh pendant and a dog choker around my neck. Did those people think I looked weird ? Was that why they were staring at me ? When I asked Isis she just rolled her eyes and smiled. Strange…

I thanked Kali profusely. On her part, she refused to leave before making me swear that I would throw away all my old clothes (she said I could only keep my pyjamas and I blushed...) and that I would dress the way she had shown me to from now on. She had that look in her eyes giving me the strange feeling that even if she was in another country, she would know if I wasn't following her instructions... I nodded positively to her and she smiled, then she left to attend other clients.

After all my new clothes were packed in my room, Isis came to see me. With a smile, she said it was time for me to go see what I looked like. She told me to follow her and I did, my heart beating furiously in my chest. I really had no idea what to hope for. I just prayed it wouldn't be too bad... Finally Isis made me enter a room where a large mirror stood against the wall. I walked toward it, slowly and fearfully, looking at everything but my reflection. Then suddenly I was standing before the mirror with my head bowed, not daring to look up. Isis just waited patiently, not saying a word. I assembled my courage and hesitantly raised my gaze...

I swear that my eyes really went as wide as saucer plates. And that my first thought was : _'Oh my God... Yugi and Grandpa are never going to believe it…'_

o0o

**Normal POV**

«Flight 117 from Cairo, Egypt, is presently landing.» came a soft feminine voice from Domino airport's speakers. «I repeat, flight 117 from Cairo, Egypt, is presently landing. Passengers will come out at gate #3. We wish you all a great day.»

"It's his flight !" Yugi exclaimed with a huge smile. "Oh my God I'm so excited ! I just can't wait to see him ! Quick quick, let's go look for him !"

And with that, Yugi darted toward gate #3 without even waiting for them.

"Whoa... He sure is impatient ta see Atemu !" Joey said with an amused grin.

"No, you think ?" Tristan answered, grinning too. "But I must say that I'm very curious to see him too."

"Well then boys what are we waiting for ?" Sugoroku told them with a third matching grin.

They walked over to gate #3, joining an over-excited Yugi who was looking everywhere around him frantically, seeing if he could catch a glimpse of his older brother.

"Where is he ? I don't see him !"

"Cool down Yuge." Joey told him with a laugh. "Give him da time to get outta the plane !"

"Yeah you're right..." Yugi said with a sheepish smile. "Okay, I'm calm." he added while taking an exaggerated deep breath. "Yup. Completely Zen."

His friends and grandfather laughed. Yugi just grinned.

He had told Joey and Tristan the whole truth about one week ago, not being able to keep it all to himself any longer. He had told them about how his Grandpa had won at the Lottery, however keeping the exact sum a secret and only saying that it was _a lot _of money, something in the millions. His two friends had been very happy for him. They knew that Yugi and his small family had been rather poor and that they couldn't afford a lot of things because of it. They had always thought it was very unfair, seeing as Yugi, Atemu and their Grandpa were the nicest people they knew and that they deserved to have an easier life, especially Atemu. And so, they were sincerely happy when Yugi told them about their new found wealth.

Then, Yugi had told them about the whole makeover thing with Atemu. Joey and Tristan had already known that their friend had gone to Egypt, but at first Yugi had told them that it was for some sort of study program. When he'd told them that it was actually for a makeover, they had been very surprised. But after thinking it over, they had agreed with Yugi that it was a very good idea. They'd asked him if they could come to fetch Atemu at the airport too, and Yugi had said yes without an hesitation. They were all very impatient to see what Atemu would look like.

Yugi glanced around him more calmly, looking through the crowded airport, but there was still no sign of his brother. He was about to tell the others that maybe they weren't at the right gate, when suddenly a familiar voice called from behind them :

"Yugi ! Grandpa !"

With a bright smile, Yugi turned around along with the others and was about to answer when just like that... all the words of greeting he could've thought of died on his lips.

Frozen on the spot and rendered totally speechless, Yugi stared wide-eyed at the young man standing before them. A rather large bag was hanging on the teen's left shoulder, and it looked pretty heavy, although said teen didn't seem very bothered by that fact. But with the perfectly outlined muscles visible on his thin arms, it was no wonder he could hold his bag so carelessly. Another suitcase was resting on the floor beside him. The teen stared back at them with beautiful crimson coloured eyes, waiting for them to speak.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yugi found his voice and asked hesitantly :

"Atemu...?"

"Yes ?" the other answered somewhat shyly.

"Oh my dear God..." was all Yugi could say, completely awe-struck.

"Well I'll be damned..." Joey added in a whisper, while Tristan and Sugoroku were still trying to find their voice.

Could it really be possible ? Could the beautiful boy standing before them really be Atemu ? No wait, beautiful was too weak a word to describe him. Stunning would've been more exact, though they weren't sure if even that was enough...

For starters, it seemed that Atemu had built up some muscles ; they weren't big (the spiky-haired teen had a lean frame and would never get bulky no matter how much he trained), but they were definitely there, hard and firm. It fitted him perfectly. Add to that, Atemu was now sporting a fabulous tan ; neither too dark nor too pale, it was just the right shade for him. And maybe it was a trick of the light, but his skin seemed to have a slight golden glow to it.

Atemu's outfit was just as breathtaking. He was wearing black leather boots, a pair of dark red leather pants, two black belts around his slim waist, and a black sleeveless shirt that clung to him like a second skin. The words «You can look but you can't touch» were printed at the front of the shirt, once in red Japanese kanji while the English version was written in white over it. To complete the style, two long golden chains hung around Atemu's neck, a small golden ankh pierced his left ear and many bracelets adorned his wrists.

Famous tri-coloured hair was now soft and shiny, crowning Atemu's head in flawlessly arranged spikes, looking somewhat like Yugi's with a few more blond bangs standing up. It made his face stand out more, and it was a good thing ; without the acne and the glasses, Atemu's features were now a beautiful mix of graceful curves and smooth golden skin. But the most stunning sight was his eyes : gorgeous ruby red eyes, rendered even more intense by the black kohl underlining them.

Yugi and the others were left speechless.

Atemu's rich voice pulled them out of their daze when he asked a bit fearfully :

"So...? What do you think ?"

Yugi was the first to react once again. Laughing, he tackled his brother to the ground and said enthusiastically :

"What I think ? What I think ?! Atemu, did you look at yourself ? You're just perfect ! I knew it, I knew it ! I told you you'd put all the world top models to shame ! Ah ! I knew I was right and this was a good idea ! No one will believe it ! Oh, big brother, I'm so happy for you...!"

He hugged his older sibling with all his strength, eyes brimming with tears of joy. Atemu smiled softly at him and hugged him back. He then looked up at his Grandpa and two friends who still seemed completely stunned. His smile turned into a smirk... So maybe Yugi _had _been right all along, maybe this whole thing had really been a good idea.

He sighed. Yugi would never let him hear the end of it…

* * *

**A/N : Chapter four is coming tomorrow, I promise ! ****Later everyone !**

* * *


	4. The new student

**A/N : Finally, another chapter ! Excuse me folks, I wanted to update sooner but you see, recently one of my one-shots has been deleted since apparently it didn't follow the Guidelines (although I was sure it did, but oh well...) and the result was that my Account was frozen for a time and I couldn't update. Forgive me ? (cute puppy pout)**

**Anyway, on with the fic ! Yami make his grand entrance !**

**Oh and by the way, thanks to all my reviewers, you people are so cool ! **

* * *

**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

* * *

**Chapter four : The new student**

**Normal POV**

Kaiba closed his laptop and sighed. His work was finally finished. Well, for today at least. Tomorrow would bring another huge bunch of it, he didn't have any illusions about that...

He had decided to work at home today, although it didn't really make a difference since he passed the near totality of the day in his office. Well, at least he was close if Mokuba needed him.

It was Sunday (yes, he worked on Sundays too... he didn't even remember the last time he had taken a vacation... if he had ever did taken one since he'd become the CEO of Kaiba Corp...) and the last time he had checked, his little brother was lounging in the living room, eating popcorns and listening to some cartoons on their giant TV screen. Seto smiled a little (if his board of Directors ever saw him do that they'd probably call the nearest asylum and have him locked up). Even though they were brothers, Mokuba was different from him : he was opened, cheerful, sociable and he still retained his innocence. Seto was perfectly fine with that. He didn't want his younger sibling to be like him. One cold-hearted CEO was enough, and besides Mokuba was just perfect the way he was.

Kaiba raised his gaze and looked at the clock : 9h59 p.m., it read. He smirked and started to count down :

"6...5...4...3...2..."

Just as he was about to say 1, the door of his office burst open and Mokuba came barging in with a big grin on his lips. His long black hair was just as dishevelled as usual and his large grey-blue eyes were twinkling with permanent mischief. He trotted to his older brother and gave him a hug, then he pulled back and said (although they both already knew it) :

"I just came to say goodnight."

"No, I think you came to gain some more minutes before going to bed." Seto said with a playful smirk.

"Oh no, I'm caught !" Mokuba exclaimed dramatically with a false fearful expression on his face.

Then suddenly he started giggling and Kaiba's smirk softened into a smile. They always did this, when Seto was home before Mokuba's bedtime. It was like a game to them, and although it always ended up being the same thing every time, they had never gotten tired of it.

Kaiba ruffled his brother's wild hair and said calmly :

"Goodnight then."

The younger boy smiled and gave Seto another hug, then he turned and walked out of the office. Seto watched him leave silently. When they were younger he used to follow Mokuba upstairs to tuck him in, but now his brother was a bit too old for that (that's what the kid had assured him, anyway...).

Seto stood up and walked toward the large windows. Granted the view wasn't as impressing as from the top of his Corporation's building, but it was beautiful nonetheless ; you could perfectly see the large gardens and the marble fountain standing to the left. Kaiba tilted his head up to look at the moon and the darkened night sky... It was so peaceful...

Then suddenly _it_ flashed in his mind again : a pair of ruby red eyes.

Seto grunted irritably. For some God only knows reason, since about 2 or 3 weeks now he was seeing red eyes everywhere ; as soon as his mind started to drift away, as soon as he was distracted, as soon as he started to relax even just a little bit, the vision of those wine coloured eyes would come back to haunt him. Damn, he was even dreaming of them ! And he had absolutely no explanation. He had never met anyone with red eyes, he didn't even know if such an iris colour was possible (unless you wore contacts, of course).

So why was he seeing those eyes all the time ? Beat him if he knew. Those ruby orbs were just plainly strange... and deep... and gorgeous... and mesmerizing... and... _'Stop it you fool !' _Seto chastised himself with an angry frown. Now he was fantasizing about eyes which he didn't even know whom they belonged to ! **If **they even belonged to someone !

_'That's it.' _he concluded after a moment. _'I'm definitely and officially insane.'_

Joy. What was next ?

o0o

**Atemu's POV**

I couldn't sleep. Maybe I was too nervous about returning to school tomorrow (well, _today_ would be more appropriate since it was 1h26 am...) and show my "new self" to everyone. Or maybe it was simply because I was in a new bed.

I was presently in my new room, in my brand new apartment. Just after coming to get me at the airport, Grandpa and the others had driven me directly here (in a new silver convertible, mind you) and no need to say I'd been very impressed.

Mine and Yugi's apartment was on the fifth floor of a seventeen-storied building, where each floor was in fact meant to be a large apartment (except the first floor, where you could find a spacious hall, a reception and a communal living room, a bit like in a hotel). The others and I had entered the building and after Grandpa had exchanged a few words with the receptionist, we had all stepped into the elevator.

We'd exited in what looked like a smaller hall with sky blue walls and a white tiled floor. A few paintings and a potted plant in the corner were the only decorations. There was a door beside the elevator (Yugi had told me it was the fire escape) and two white double doors in front of us. Yugi had taken out a set of keys and unlocked one of the white doors before beckoning me to go in first. I'd complied and had been awed once again.

The place really _was_ big. The double doors opened on a large open space that played the role of a living room, a family room and an entertainment room all at once. The floor where we entered was actually a bit higher ; we'd left our shoes beside the doors and climbed down the two steps leading farther into the room. The walls were painted a pale olive green colour and the floor was made of soft brown, polished wooden boards.

A very large, circle-shaped carpet, fluffy and cream-coloured, was set in the middle of the room. On it rested two light green, semicircular couches that faced each other at both ends of the carpet. There were also four light green armed-chairs, while a long low table made of polished, dark brown wood was installed in the center. A beautiful crystal vase filled with dry flowers was set on the table.

Against the right wall of the room, in between a brown closed door (behind which was the bathroom, I was told) and an open entrance (leading to the kitchen/dining room), was set an expensive entertainment center. The large black flat screen TV flanked by its two speaker posts had me staring for a good five minutes. At some distance in front of it rested a three-place, rust-coloured leather couch. Set just before it was another dark brown and shiny low table.

A high, light brown bookcase was standing against the left wall of the room, the shelves already filled with mine and Yugi's books and some other little knick-knacks. Each sides of the bookcase were two other closed doors ; behind those were mine and Yugi's bedrooms.

The far wall, the one facing the entrance of the apartment, actually consisted of large floor-to-ceiling windows. Silken olive green curtains, their colour a few shades darker than the walls', hung stylishly at both ends. Behind them, another curtain, lighter and cream-coloured, could be closed over the windows if we ever sought more privacy.

The room contained few accessories : a couple of paintings on the walls, mostly representing landscapes, a few added chairs, some green plants (most of them fake) here and there to liven things up… There was also some olive green-, cream- and rust-coloured cushions disposed on the couches and chairs. I guessed that Yugi and I would have to decide ourselves if we wanted to add anything else.

I really had trouble believing that all this now belonged to me and my brother, but Grandpa had assured me that it did.

It turned out that he and Yugi had already brought my things from the Game shop to here. All that was left for me to do was arrange them and put them away where I wanted. I was glad about that, as it would save me a lot of trouble.

In the end, Tristan, Joey and Grandpa had stayed for supper after it was decided that I would do the cooking (apparently, if one believed them, I was a very good cook). Around seven o'clock the three of them had gone, leaving Yugi and I alone. We had stayed up until ten. Yugi had been very excited since it was also his first time in the apartment (he had waited for me to arrive before moving in). He had asked me millions of questions about my makeover and about Egypt in general. I had answered to everything happily. Then we had gone to bed because we did have a school day tomorrow (I wasn't about to forget that...).

So here I was now, in my new bed (large enough for 4 guys my size), restlessly waiting for sleep to claim me. Though I really didn't think it was the bed's fault because it was very comfortable. I absolutely loved it, just like I loved my new room. The walls were a dark burgundy colour, the bedding and curtains were made of luxurious cream satin, and the furniture was in different shades of brown. I would have to accessorize it myself, though.

I had seen Yugi's room too ; his had light powder blue walls, midnight blue bedding and curtains, and white furniture. My little brother had already told me _all_ about what he would add to personalize the place.

But I'm sidetracking. The thing is, right now, I was nervous. No, scratch that, I was down right terrified of what would happen tomorrow. School had always been my own personal nightmare ; why in the world would I be excited to go back ? So what if I looked better than I did before ? Would it really change anything ? What would the other students think ?

It's then that I thought of Seto ; what would _he_ think ? Would he like my new appearance ? Well I suppose he would... but who knew ? Maybe he was hard to please. Maybe I was simply not his type. The way I looked wasn't the point. Maybe we just weren't meant for each other. That would be so unfair... I wished so hard that he would like me...

I turned in my bed. None of this was helping me to sleep. But I was just so scared... So maybe the other students would think I looked good, but once they knew who I was they would just start bullying me again. I was sure of it. My reputation would precede me and then my looks wouldn't help me one bit. Sure I had learned some self-defence, but I wasn't stupid : I knew that I still didn't know enough to beat someone twice my size, like Vince for example.

My assurance slowly started to falter. No, this would never work... Nothing would change... It was too good to be true... How could everyone's opinion of me change just because I looked different ? No, I'm sure they would still treat me the same... Unless…

Unless they didn't know it was me.

An idea started to bloom in my head. It was crazy, and I knew it. It's just that I didn't think I would be able, especially after having known what it was to be surrounded by nice people, to go back in a place where almost everybody treated me like trash—unless I used that insane idea I'd just had. Seriously, I wasn't sure it was the best thing to do, but right now I couldn't think of anything else. I had this feeling that I would regret it... but I decided to take the risk anyway. I just hoped that Yugi, Tristan and Joey would agree to play along.

With the details of my scheme still working out in the back of my mind, I finally succeeded to fall asleep...

o0o

**Normal POV**

It was a bright sunny day and the students were all gathered in the school hallways, waiting for the bell to ring and for their courses to begin. Everybody was talking at the same time and the result was a loud and constant noise in which you almost had to yell to be heard.

Standing silently in a corner and surrounded (much to his dislike) by his usual horde of fans, Kaiba was trying madly not to frown and shout at everyone to shut up. First, he knew that it wouldn't work (well, not for long anyway...), secondly, it wasn't as if he could just forbid everyone to speak just because the noise bothered him (although he would sure love to) but thirdly and mostly, he had a reputation to maintain. Seto Kaiba does not throw a temper tantrum every time something displeases him. He wasn't four years old. He was calm and collected and nothing could scratch his ice barrier... although sometimes all this annoying school ruckus did bring him to the edge. And even more depressing was that he knew that it wasn't about to stop.

That's why when everyone suddenly stopped talking at once, Seto was very pleased, but also very curious as to what had caused that temporary miracle. He slightly raised his head and followed the others' gazes... only to find himself frozen on the spot too by what he saw (thank God his inner shock wasn't visible).

Walking down the hallway beside Yugi Mutou was a guy none of them had seen before. He looked somewhat like Yugi, but he was a bit taller and there were other differences you just couldn't miss... like how sexier he was. All students were sure they'd never seen him in the school before, because how could it be possible for them to forget such a beautiful specimen...?

He was slim and slightly muscular, though not much. But somehow, it looked just perfect that way. His features were stunning, there was no other way to say it. He had spiky and exotic tri-coloured hair similar to Yugi's, but unlike his smaller counterpart's wide and violet orbs, the new student's eyes were a dark ruby red, underlined with black kohl and framed by dark lashes long enough to make the prettiest girls jealous. His skin was deliciously tanned and had a very subtle golden glow, while his lips seemed to have received a light, almost non-existent touch of gloss.

He wore the usual school uniform, but apparently he had made some personal changes : the pants he had on were the same dark blue colour as theirs, but his were made of leather, clinging to his lithe form and falling over his black boots. His dark blue jacket was normal (although it did seem to flare a bit more over his lower back) but instead of the white shirt they all wore underneath, he had chosen to wear a black one. It was made of some sort of shimmering material that looked just wonderful on him. The two top buttons were undone, showing some more golden skin as if to tease possible onlookers. Adding to his unique appearance were two belts hanging on his hips and a black choker around his neck.

To make a long story short, this guy was much too gorgeous for his own good.

Kaiba was one of the rare students able to keep himself from gaping or simply drooling all over the floor. In his own book, it should've been forbidden to look that sexy. Who the hell was that guy ?

Apparently he wasn't the only one who wanted to know because suddenly Duke Devlin, a rather popular student, stepped out of the crowd and walked toward Yugi and the other. He set a hand on the stranger's shoulder (Kaiba _really_ wanted to snatch it away) and asked cautiously :

"Excuse me ?"

The beautiful boy stopped and turned around, along with Yugi. Duke removed his hand (much to Seto's relief) and said with a smile :

"Hi. I'm Duke Devlin. Are you new here ?"

The boy looked down at Yugi who seemed to frown at him, then he looked up again and answered with a rich voice that made everyone shiver :

"Yes, I'm new. I'm Yugi's cousin."

"Is that so ?" said Duke with a smile, although he seemed to have a very hard time feeling comfortable in his pants at the moment... "And where do you come from ?" he added.

"Egypt." the boy answered again, not seeming to realize that every last student in the hallway was drinking his every words, or that Yugi was fidgeting nervously beside him.

"Egypt ? Cool !" Duke continued. "And what's your name ?"

Everybody held their breath...

"Yami." came the answer.

"Beautiful..." Duke whispered, voicing everyone's thoughts. But then he frowned and said : "But that's Japanese."

"Yes." Yami confirmed calmly. "My mother was Japanese."

There was a silence, then Yami added :

"Well, sorry to leave you here, but Yugi and I have to go to the principal's office for my... registration. Bye !"

And with that he turned around and resumed his march, all eyes on him and Yugi fast on his heels. As they walked away Duke called :

"If you ever need help with anything, just come and ask me, okay ?"

Yami just turned his head and smiled at him, making Duke gulp and squirm a little bit more in his clothes.

Kaiba (who was inwardly planning to murder Duke in the most painful way possible) watched the two cousins walk toward him as discreetly as possible. Discretion was a bit hard to achieve at the moment though, since he seemed totally unable to detach his gaze from Yami's small and alluring figure. Seto couldn't explain it, but there was just something about that guy... something beyond his looks, that the CEO couldn't pinpoint... It was making him totally obsessed (and looking back on his murderous thoughts, possessive too). And why did he have that strange feeling to have met Yami somewhere before...?

As the new student passed by him, Kaiba's gaze was caught by this breathtaking set of red eyes... the exact same eyes that had been haunting his thoughts during the last three weeks. Now Seto Kaiba wasn't one to usually believe in fate, but this just couldn't be a coincidence.

Yami and Yugi soon disappeared at the winding of the hallway. As the conversations started up again, Seto thought to himself : _'School sure is gonna become a lot more interesting...'_. And unknown to him, all the other students were thinking the exact same thing.

* * *

**A/N : I know, I know, it was kind of short**** and a bit over-descriptive. But I had to prepare the stage a bit. There should be more action in the next chapter, and it should be a bit longer too. Anyway I'll try...**

**So did you like this one ? Review please !**

* * *


	5. Maelstrom

**A/N : Hello folks ! So sorry for taking that long to update ! I made a very long chapter to amend myself ! Twelve pages on Microsoft Word ! It should help you forgive me, shouldn't it **

**Ok, before we start, I just want you to meet my two new muses : Akari...**

**Akari : **(smiles and waves at everyone) Hi ! Pleased to meet you ! Enjoy the fifth chapter ! (walks off to go eat a chocolate apple)

**...and Raiu !**

**Raiu : **(grumbles) Yeah yeah, just go on with the fic.

**You can ignore Raiu, she's a pest.**

**Raiu : **And you can ignore cherry-chan, she's crazy.

**WHAT ?****! Why I oughta...!**

**Raiu : **Don't you have another chapter to write ?

**Damn ! (glares at Raiu) You're lucky this time ! (goes to computer and starts writing...)**

**Akari : **(back with her chocolate apple) Okay everyone, on with the fic !

* * *

**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

* * *

**Chapter five : Maelstrom**

**Normal POV**

"So have you seen him ?"

"Who ?"

"You know, the new hot guy who arrived this morning !"

"Oh you mean Yami ! Yes I've seen him. He's so dreamy...!"

"Yeah, and I swear I've never seen eyes like his in my entire life…"

"Where did he say he was coming from again ?"

"From Egypt."

"Oh yeah that's right, and he's Mutou's cousin isn't he ?"

"Yep. But they look so alike, you'd think they were brothers !"

"No way, they look nothing alike, Yami's way more sexy !"

"Oh shut it, you just have a major crush on him."

"Pfff, and you don't ?"

"Well..."

Kaiba frowned at the group of chatting students as he entered the classroom, catching the end of their conversation. He passed them without a word and went at the very back of the class where his usual seat was, just beside the window. He sat down at his desk and shot another glare at the group of students sitting in the front row. Obviously they were still rambling about the new addition to their school...

Not that Seto was surprised. Since Yami had made his appearance, it was like nothing else was worth mentioning. Yami there, Yami here, Yami's so this, Yami's so that, and blah blah blah... Every student was talking about him non-stop and it seemed that nearly half of them had a crush on him already. Girls _and _boys included. And it frustrated Kaiba beyond belief.

It's not that the young CEO didn't like the subject of the conversation. Quite the opposite, actually... But he just didn't like the way they talked about Yami, about how sexy and beautiful he was, and how they would ask him out as soon as they had a chance, things like that. Kaiba just couldn't stand it. It seriously ticked him off, although he was being careful not to let it show too openly.

One might think he was jealous of Yami, but Seto knew that it wasn't the problem... The problem was that for some strange reason, he felt... possessive.

He couldn't explain it, and he didn't know why this feeling was there. He didn't even know what _"this feeling" _was exactly. But it was definitely there. And it had hit him right when he'd crossed gazes with Yami. Since that moment, it was like Seto just couldn't stop thinking about the spiky-haired teen. Something was drawing him toward Yami, something stronger than everything he'd ever felt before, and he couldn't seem to escape its grasp... Although, he couldn't swear that he really wanted to escape.

Kaiba did agree with the other students on one thing (even if he would die before telling them that) : Yami was indeed quite a sight. His exotic looks were candy for the eyes, and he was sexier than it should've been permitted. Just that was more than enough to attract Seto's attention, since the CEO had never made it a secret that he was into boys (although lots of girls still seemed to think they could make him change his mind...).

But Kaiba wasn't stupid, and he knew that Yami's looks couldn't be the only reason why the boy was suddenly invading his every thoughts. He'd seen lots of pretty boys before (although, he had to admit, not quite as pretty as Yami), and he knew he had more self-control than that. So there was obviously something else... Kaiba just hadn't figured it out yet. But he would soon. He always did. After all, he was a genius, wasn't he ?

Until then, all he knew was that he _really _didn't like how every students were talking about Yami as if he was theirs to take. Something told him that if they kept that on, he would strangle someone before the end of the day.

Seto came out of his musings when the teacher, Mrs. Yarimoto, entered the class and dropped her briefcase noisily on her desk. She was a nice woman but always a bit distracted. Looking around, Kaiba noticed that all the students were already there, despite the fact that the bell hadn't rung yet. Well, this sure was a first… Kaiba quickly understood the reason why though : right as the bell set off, one last student entered the room. And that student was Yami.

He stepped in the room with a calm look on his elegant features, holding his books with one hand and closing the door with the other. Mrs. Yarimoto didn't acknowledge him right away, so Yami just stood there and waited patiently for her to finish her things. No one seemed to have a problem with that ; it gave them the perfect occasion to admire Yami from afar. Kaiba was no exception, although he frowned when he suddenly noticed that he wasn't the only one staring at the youth. He glared at a group of girls who were looking dreamily in Yami's direction, then at a boy who was leering at Yami with a hungry expression while running his eyes over the young man's body.

Yes, Seto would definitely kill someone before the end of the day.

His murderous thoughts immediately left his mind though when Yami happened to turn toward him, locking gazes just like they'd done this morning... Kaiba's breath caught in his throat, but he skilfully managed to hide his surprise. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Yami and the boy quickly looked away, a rosy tint appearing on his cheeks.

_'Weak, pathetic and totally unworthy of my time.'_

Those would've been Kaiba's thoughts... normally. But when he saw the small blush on Yami's cheeks, the only thought his agitated mind could process was : _'Adorable...'_

Mrs. Yarimoto pulled him from his thoughts once again when she finally turned around and noticed Yami standing beside her desk. She smiled at him and said :

"Oh, Mr. Mutou, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"It's okay." Yami answered with a small smile of his own.

Some girls sighed dreamily. Mrs. Yarimoto turned to face the class and said :

"Well everyone, it seems we have a... new student. I hope you will all give Yami Mutou a good welcome."

Many smiled suggestively at that, and Kaiba really started to believe that he would need talented lawyers very, _very_ soon...

"Well Yami," Mrs. Yarimoto pursued, "just go sit wherever you want and we'll start today's lesson."

Yami surveyed the room while Mrs. Yarimoto turned to write something on the chalk board. Many students were beckoning him to come sit beside them. Yami looked at them then glanced uncertainly toward Seto, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he seemed to make a decision and one second later, he was sitting at the desk just beside Kaiba's, leaving the latter quite speechless.

Usually, the desks around Kaiba were empty, mostly because the other students were way too intimidated by him to go sit so close to him. Kaiba liked it that way. He liked his space and he didn't want to sit beside those fools, as he called them, if he could avoid it. Luckily the classes were big enough to permit that kind of arrangement. Of course his crazy fangirls sometimes came to bother him, but he'd learned to efficiently scare them away. Not even they could stand his icy glares.

In brief, Kaiba liked to have his alone spot, and nobody had ever dared to try an approach, not even his horde of admirers. He wouldn't have let them, anyway. But if it was Yami... Well, Seto didn't think his usual rules applied to Yami. He realized that he didn't mind having him sitting there. In fact, not only did he not mind, he was also rather pleased. Now where was _that_ coming from ?

He was even more startled when Yami suddenly addressed him with a low voice :

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here ?"

Kaiba once again succeeded to hide his surprise. He glanced at the rest of the students who were obviously eavesdropping on them, casting sideways glances in their direction (come on, did they really think he hadn't noticed ?). Kaiba just ignored them all and turned back toward Yami before saying coldly :

"Why are you asking me that ? You can sit wherever you want, I don't own the class."

"I suppose." answered Yami, seemingly unfazed. "But you do seem like the kind of person who appreciates their space, so I would like to know if I'm bothering you."

Kaiba hesitated before retorting always as coldly :

"And what if I say that you do bother me ?"

It was quick, but the young CEO caught a small flash of hurt in Yami's eyes. Then it was gone and the boy told him calmly :

"If that's the case, I'll just go sit somewhere else."

Yami wasn't looking at him anymore, and Kaiba was a bit troubled to realize how he missed having those ruby coloured eyes looking in his own blue ones... But there was more surprising : it was most certainly not the first time that Seto was acting coldly with someone, and he'd never really cared about what people thought of it. He'd even made a girl burst into tears once, when he was younger, and it hadn't fazed him.

But just now, knowing that he'd been the one to cause that little flash of hurt in Yami's eyes was making Seto feel absolutely awful... Only Mokuba had ever been able to make him feel that way. At least, until now. And Kaiba simply **hated** that feeling.

Apparently he'd taken a little too long to respond because Yami was now gathering his things and preparing to rise, obviously taking his silence for a clear enough answer. There was that slight hurt look in his eyes again and at the moment, Seto wanted nothing more than to make it go away...

"Wait." he told Yami, firmly but not too loud so that the teacher wouldn't scold them.

Yami froze but still didn't look back at him. Kaiba knew he was listening though, so he pursued :

"Just stay. I don't mind."

He saw Yami's shoulders relax as the boy turned to look at him. Wine red met cerulean blue and Yami smiled slightly, a happy sparkle having replaced the hurt shade in his eyes. He then turned back to open his books and start taking notes, that little smile still gracing his features... Kaiba decided not to wonder too much about why it made him so glad to see that smile on Yami's lips...

Not once did Seto realize that in his last sentence, he'd used with Yami the voice he was usually only using for his little brother... A warm voice, deep and soft, totally devoid of its usual coldness. It was gentle and soothing, and more importantly, it shown a glimpse of his true self, the Seto Kaiba behind all the ice walls.

And he didn't know that, more than his words, it was his voice that had made Yami smile.

o0o

Tea Gardner stared with growing disgust in her turquoise blue eyes at the scene playing out before her, just a few feet away. It took all her willpower not to throw up right where she stood... which was in the cafeteria, just beside the doors.

The cafeteria was loud and full of chatting students as usual, but there was one difference today : one of the tables to her left was totally filled with people, not leaving a single place free. Add to that, there was a small gathering at one of the table's extremities, the one farthest from where Tea stood. About a dozen of students were assembled there around something and all the attention at the table seemed to be directed toward that _"something"_. And Tea had just caught a glimpse of what... or rather _who_ it was : Yami Mutou.

Tea didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she hated him. She just couldn't believe that guy ; he had entered the school this morning and he'd already done what it had taken her a whole year to accomplish. And to make matters worse, his results were even better than hers !

In only a day Yami had become one of the most popular students in Domino High, and half of the school population, both genders and every grades included, was already hitting on him without even bothering to be subtle. But the most infuriating thing was, he wasn't even _trying_ ! Tea was an expert at manipulating others and faking innocence, and it was plain and clear for her that Yami was not faking. He was just being himself and seemed oblivious to the way he was affecting others. Without exaggerating, all he had to do was make a little smile or bat his long dark eyelashes (damn she would kill to have eyelashes like that !) and everybody was instantly at his feet. Tea had never known one single girl able to obtain such results, and even less a boy. And she couldn't stand it !

Since two years now, it was a well known fact that Tea was the most popular girl in Domino High. Her parents were rich, she was the captain of the cheerleaders' team and she had a lot of influence on the other students. Even the teachers hesitated to chastise her, and she always had a group of girls following her around and doing her every wills. She was the Queen of this school and the most handsome guys were fighting for the right to go out with her. She knew of the power she held in her hands, and she rejoiced in it.

Until Yami came in.

He'd ruined everything. Barely anyone was paying attention to her now, and she knew it wasn't about to change soon. Yami was the newest attraction, and a pretty one at that... Even Tea herself couldn't deny the fact that he was indeed beautiful, and it irked her just like everything else about the spiky-haired teen. She'd observed him and to her greatest displeasure, so far she hadn't been able to find one single flaw about him. He was good-looking, smart, kind and polite. She'd even heard a rumor saying he was rich. The guy was bloody perfect !

And like that wasn't enough, there seemed to be something about Yami that pleased both girls _and _boys ! He had twice the admirers _she _had ! She'd even lost some of her own to him : one look at Yami and almost half of the boys who courted her had suddenly discovered the wonders of bisexual likings.

But for Tea, the icing on the cake was when she'd learned that Yami had went to sit with none other than Seto Kaiba during Mrs. Yarimoto's class. Tea knew, just like everyone else, that Kaiba was a loner, despite all the people hovering around him. He liked his personal space and he'd clearly forbidden others to come sit too close to him unless it was absolutely necessary. It had always been like that, and it was the same in every classes.

Of course, Tea _had _tried to approach him once in their history class… But even after skilfully using her best _"assets"_, Kaiba had given her a glare so cold it could've frozen the blood in her veins, and she hadn't pushed her luck. It wasn't that bad of a defeat, since no one had ever succeeded to get close to the young billionaire... until this morning, that is.

From what a friend had told her, when Yami had went to sit beside Kaiba, the CEO had barely argued. He hadn't frowned, he hadn't glared, and students were saying that he'd even let Yami sit beside him in every other classes they just so happened to have together. And now the rumor said that apparently, even Seto Kaiba, Ice Prince Extraordinaire, was not immune to the charms of their new Egyptian beauty.

That had been the last straw for Tea. Even if she'd gone out with several boys, her real goal had always been the young CEO of Kaiba Corp. She'd always had a major crush on him, and she'd made many attempts to get his attention. But nothing had ever worked... Of course she knew that Kaiba was into guys, since he'd never made it a secret. Nonetheless, Tea had always been persuaded that she had the necessary _"tools" _to convert the rich bachelor, and that all she needed was time. She was sure that eventually he would give in. After all, Kaiba wasn't interested in anyone else seriously, so her chances were good.

Or at least they had been.

But that had all changed now. And it was once again because of Yami Mutou.

Tea shot a glare in Yami's direction. The boy was presently answering someone's question with this pretty little smile that seemed to make all the girls swoon and the boys fall at his feet in less than a second's time. God did Tea hate that smile…

_'I will destroy you, Yami ! I don't know how yet, but I will ! You better enjoy your hour of glory, because it won't last ! And make no mistake : Seto Kaiba is __**mine **!'_

With one last glare, Tea whirled around and exited the cafeteria. She would eat in town today.

o0o

**Yugi's POV**

"Well, today surely was... different." I heard my brother say as we walked back toward our apartment.

"Today was crazy you mean !" I exclaimed. "I think I counted 45... no, 46 persons who came to ask me if I could introduce them to you ! And half of them wanted to come over for a visit this weekend ! Thank God they don't know the address of our new apartment ! The last thing we need is a horde of stalkers at our door !"

I stopped when I saw Atemu drop his head slightly and say with regret :

"I'm sorry Yugi."

I quickly grabbed his arm and made him look at me, then I smiled and I told him :

"What are you apologizing for ? I wasn't accusing you of anything. In fact, I'm very happy things turned out this way !"

He stared at me and asked :

"Really ? How so ?"

"Well it was our goal, wasn't it ?" I answered, then added : "Although, I think we've obtained results way beyond our expectations !"

"You can say that again." he told me with a smile as we resumed walking. Then he frowned a little and added : "It's kind of great, but on another hand... Yugi, I am unused to all of this. I'm not sure how to deal with it, and to be perfectly honest... All this attention scares me a little..."

I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and answered :

"You did a pretty good job dealing with it today, from what I could see. Just keep it up and everything will be alright. Don't forget that you have me, Joey and Tristan to back you up !"

He smiled at me and said :

"Yes, you're right. And by the way, thank you again for accepting to play along with my new identity. I know you didn't like the idea when I told you about it this morning..."

"And I still don't like it." I retorted with a frown.

When Atemu had told me about this _"new identity"_ thing, I wasn't pleased. When you get into that sort of lie, it always backfires, and then you find yourself in a worse situation than before. Everybody knows that. But Atemu was so desperate, and it didn't take me long to realize that if I didn't agree with his plan, he wouldn't come to school at all.

Some may call him a coward for doing that, but they don't know what he went through. They don't know a thing about what he had to endure every single day. I do. And that's why I finally gave in.

It's not as if Atemu was acting on a whim. He was scared. He didn't want to get hurt again, be it physically or emotionally. I could understand that, and I didn't want him to get hurt again, either… So I had accepted to play along in his little trickery, for however long it would hold. I just couldn't let my brother down. I had never been able to. And besides, I knew that if it had been me in his shoes right now, he would've helped me without hesitation.

Joey and Tristan had accepted to be a part of it too, probably for reasons similar to mine. The relieved smile on Atemu's face when we'd told him was worth every lies and tricks we would soon get ourselves into. I just wanted to help him so badly, to try and make things easier for him... I knew Joey and Tristan wanted it too. We had a feeling we would probably get in trouble, but we just couldn't abandon him.

Atemu wasn't a fool though. He too knew that all this was quite possibly a bad idea... But he just couldn't help it. I don't think he would be able to support being rejected by nearly everyone again. He couldn't bring himself to take the risk. And somewhere inside myself, I didn't want him to either. He wouldn't be able to go through that again. This time, it would break him. I know it would. And I think somehow, he knows it too.

I snapped out of my thoughts when Atemu suddenly told me with a slightly trembling voice :

"I'm sorry... You don't have to... If... if you don't want to do it anymore, it's okay... I'll... I'll just..."

He looked so distraught that my heart clenched painfully in my chest. I simply hated to see him like this... Atemu was always playing the stronger one and always took everything upon his own shoulders. He always protected me, but in fact, he is much more fragile than I am, and it's precisely because he's been protecting me. He shields me from everything and takes most of the blows. Thanks to him, I am untouched. He though, has scars everywhere... Each human being has their limits, and Atemu can't take much more of it at this point. And I don't know what to do, but help him. Help him when he needs it. And if I have to lie, then so be it. It's the least I can do.

I brought my attention back to my brother who was now looking silently toward the ground, a heartbreaking lost look on his face. I stopped him again and took his hands in mine, then I said :

"Atemu, listen. It's true that I don't like the idea, but I said I would help you, and I will. You can count on me, you know you can. And after all, it's your life and your decision. It's up to you if you want to pursue it or stop it. But whatever you choose, I'll help. Me, Tristan and Joey, we'll support you every step of the way. And if things go wrong, you won't be alone to deal with it. Just keep that in mind, okay ?"

I gave his hands one last squeeze then let go. He stared at me for a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes, then he said softly :

"Thank you... Thank you, Yugi."

I smiled at him and started walking again. He followed me without a word. He seemed happy.

That was good.

That was all I wanted.

o0o

**Mokuba's POV**

It was always hard to fully understand my brother, even for me who knew him the best. But I had to admit, tonight had taken the cake !

For starters, he came back from work at 6 o'clock. **6 O'CLOCK !** I never thought I'd live to see this happen. The sooner he'd ever come back from work in five years was 8 o'clock, and it had happened only two times, one of which being an emergency (I had broken my wrist while playing on the swings... I was 9 years old at the time) !

So, you can understand how surprised I was when I heard Seto's Ferrari enter in our courtyard at 5h57 p.m., then saw my brother himself pass the door three minutes later. And when I asked him why he was home so soon (not that I was complaining, but it was just so unusual), he answered me... that he just couldn't seem to concentrate today.

Okay.

That would've been an acceptable answer from anyone other than Seto Kaiba.

But coming from him...

I think I scared him a little when I practically jumped on him and started asking all in one breath if he was feeling well, if he had a fever, if something disastrous had happened at school, if he wanted me to call a doctor, if he had eaten any suspicious substance lately, if the Kaiba Corporation's building had collapsed on itself, if it was the end of the world...

He stopped me when I started talking about aliens kidnapping him and brainwashing him before sending him back to Earth. He gave me this weird look and I realized that I may have overreacted a bit... Luckily Seto didn't linger on it and went to tell our chef what he wanted for supper.

But coming home early wasn't the only strange thing he did tonight.

During supper he asked the usual questions of how had been my day and what I'd done at school, you know things like that. I told him, then I returned him the question. For a moment he was silent, then suddenly, that little smile appeared on his lips. I looked closer and to my surprise... it was reaching his eyes. Seto was smiling.

Now, it's not that I've never seen my brother smile before. In fact, I'm probably the only person alive that has ever seen him genuinely smile. But this time was different. You see, when Seto smiles, it's always just for me. I'm not boasting, it's really true. Personally, I always thought it would be great if my brother could have at least one other person to smile to. Another person to care for, and who would care for him in return. Not just me. Because if something happens to me, then he'll be all alone. I don't want that. And I would be so happy if one day he found someone else to give his smile to… The chances of that happening weren't very high though.

Until tonight.

That smile I saw on his lips tonight, it wasn't for me. I knew it. I'm sure I wasn't even close to his thoughts at that moment. As incredible as it may seem, during that brief instant, Seto was smiling to _someone else_...

Who that person might be, I've got no idea, but it must be someone _really _special.

And whoever that person might be, I wonder if they know how grateful I am to them.

Later in the evening, I went to Seto's office, where I was sure to find him... But to my astonishment, he wasn't there. Seto ALWAYS worked in his office until passed midnight, no exceptions. I took a glance at the time : 8h43 p.m. And my brother's office was empty.

Honestly, I almost cried bloody murder, and almost ran straight to the phone to call the police and signal a kidnapping. But by luck I remembered that Seto had been acting weird since he'd arrived from work, so I restrained myself from alerting the local authorities. I walked out of my brother's office and searched for him in the other rooms, wondering where he could be.

I finally found him in the living room. He was just standing there, before the large windows, gazing intently at the darkening sky as if it held all the answers of the Universe. He was so deeply in thought that he didn't even hear me come beside him, and he almost jumped three feet in the air when I called his name. I must say that I had a good laugh out of that (despite him glaring at me the whole time), but it did leave me wondering about what could be monopolizing his thoughts that much... And apparently, it wasn't his work.

Seto didn't go into his office ONE time tonight. Not even once. Someone, please take note that the Apocalypse is near.

To top it all, I know he went to bed right after me. He passed by my room to wish me goodnight, then left. I heard his footsteps go down the hallway, then the sound of his bedroom's door opening and closing. I stayed awake about half an hour after that, but I didn't hear him came out.

Seto Kaiba went to bed at 10 o'clock p.m.

Well, at least he'll have a decent night of sleep for once. Usually, the most he sleeps every night is four hours. If he sleeps at all.

My brother acted totally out of character tonight, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to question him. It won't last though. I'll catch up tomorrow. For now, I have only two speculations on what could be the cause of Seto's strange behaviour :

1) We've all entered the twilight zone and nobody told me, or...

2) ...there's a pretty boy behind this.

Since the first option isn't very likely to happen (duh...), it leaves us with the latter.

Oh my God, someone mark this day in your calendar and alert the media, because the miracle has finally happened.

I think my brother is in love...

* * *

**A/N : Whoa, that was a long chapter ! Hope you liked it ! R&R please!**

**Raiu : **Why should they bother, we already know it was horrible.

**SHUT UP ! (turns to reviewers) Don't listen to her, and please review !**

**Akari : **Yes, if you do we'll give you a white monkey !

**Raiu : **(rolls her eyes sarcastically) Oh yeah, and why not a pink elephant while you're at it ?

**Akari : **(smiles brightly) Yes that too ! Good idea Raiu !

**Raiu : **(sighs tragically) That's it, I give up...

**o.0 ;; Just review ok...? By the way, there will be more Seto/Yami in the next chap ! ****See you there !**

* * *


	6. In the eye of the storm, I was waiting f

**A/N : Hi folks ! (dodges weapons and rotten fruits thrown at her) Eep ! I know, I'm so sorry for the lateness ! I realize I haven't updated in forever ! I deeply apologize ! If you're any interested to know the reasons for this late update, go to my profile, it's all written there. If you don't give a damn, that's fine with me too ! I won't bore you with it if you don't want to know, that's why I haven't written it here.**

**Raiu : **Would you look at that, she actually had a smart idea for once.

**You, don't start ! No one's here to listen to your pestering !**

**Raiu : **You sure of that ?

**Just get lost Raiu. Anyway folks, here's an extra long Chapter 6 for your enjoyment ! I made it long to make up a little for the lateness... And I added some Seto/Yami romance to make it even better !**

**Raiu : **Pfff... Bribes. Go figure.

**Won't you just stop ! ...Alright, let's just get on with the fic, shall we ?**

**Akari : **(settled with popcorn and soda) I'm already started ! ...Aw, I can't believe Seto just said that ! How sweet !

**Shhhh ! You're gonna spoil the surprise !**

**Raiu : **Just read on, will you ?

* * *

**.: Look at me with your eyes closed :.**

by cherry fantasy

* * *

**_Reminder of chapter 5 :_**

(Mokuba's POV)

My brother has been acting totally out of character tonight, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to question him. It won't last though. I'll catch up tomorrow. For now, I have only two speculations on what could be the cause of Seto's demeanor :

1) We've all entered the twilight zone and nobody told me, or...

2) ...there's a pretty boy behind this.

Since the first option isn't likely to happen (duh...), it leaves us with the latter.

Oh my God, someone mark this day in your calendar and alert the media, because the miracle has finally happened :

I think my brother is in love...

**

* * *

**

**Chapter six : In the eye of the storm, I was waiting for you**

**Normal POV**

" Yami ! Are you even listening to me ! "

Yami jumped and turned his attention back to Yugi, who (he realized a bit sheepishly) he had been ignoring for a good ten minutes now. His brother was standing before him with a frown and his hands on his hips, tapping the floor impatiently with his foot. In all honesty he didn't look that imposing, but Yami knew better... Yugi could be quite scary when he wanted to...

" Sorry " he apologized. " I was just... daydreaming "

" Daydreaming huh ? " Yugi said with a little grin. " I think _your_ kind of daydreaming is called Seto-dreaming, brother dear "

Yami blushed to the root of his hair, but didn't try to deny Yugi's statement. What would it serve, since they'd both know he would be lying ?

Yugi had found out about his infatuation with Seto just a few days prior, when he'd accidentally walked in on his older brother doodling Seto's name all over the pages of his scrapbook. And if the little hearts scattered everywhere on the sheet weren't already a dead give away, the very visible «Atemu loves Seto» in the center surely was.

At first, Yugi had been a bit offended that Yami hadn't told him anything (after all, they used to share all their secrets). But then Yami had explained that if he hadn't spoken about it, it was because he himself thought it was silly to even hope for his feelings to ever be returned.

That evening he'd told Yugi everything, and it had felt so good to finally confide to someone and get it off his chest. By the end of his speech he was almost into tears and Yugi had long since forgiven him (he'd probably did during the first 5 seconds... Yugi was just kind that way). His little brother had offered him all the support he needed and Yami berated himself for not telling him sooner. It sure would've been the smart thing to do. Anyhow, he'd asked Yugi not to tell Tristan and Joey just yet ; he'd tell them himself when he'd be ready. Luckily, Yugi had accepted.

It had been one week since then, and it had also been one week since his appearance as _Yami_ at Domino High (Yugi had started to call him Yami on a regular basis, so it would become more natural). And it was also one week ago that he'd had his first real conversation with Seto Kaiba, in Mrs.Yarimoto's class.

Sadly he hadn't seen much of Seto in the last week. The young CEO truly was a busy man : school, Kaiba Corp. and his little brother were taking most of his time. But the few times they'd seen each other (mainly in class ; they had several of them in common), Seto had been very cordial with him. Yami would even go as far as to say that he'd been... nice. Well, amiable at least. Now, Yami didn't know Seto that much personally (to his great regret), but he knew that the CEO's behavior toward him was a rare occurrence. He was flattered (ok, overjoyed was more like it), that much was obvious, but he still didn't think he had any chances of ending up in a romantic relationship with Kaiba. The CEO probably just thought of him as a friend... if even that.

A light slap behind his head brought him out of his musings. He turned to frown at his brother, then blushed and looked down sheepishly when he realized he'd been ignoring him again.

" Don't tell me " Yugi said in good humor, obviously not mad. " You were Seto-dreaming again "

Yami laughed softly and nodded.

" Sorry " he repeated a second time. " What were you saying ? "

" I was saying, you should ask him out "

" Who ? "

" Kaiba, who else ? " Yugi answered while rolling his eyes.

" ARE YOU CRAZY ! " Yami exclaimed.

A few heads turned toward them in puzzlement, probably wondering what the commotion was about. Yami and Yugi were presently strolling around in the schoolyard ; they both happened, like some other students, to have a free period, and they'd decided to come outside to enjoy it since it was such a beautiful day.

" I'm not crazy " Yugi stated after Yami's outburst, " but people might start thinking _you_ are if you keep shouting around like this "

The little devil had a grin on his face, and it was obvious he was forcing himself not to laugh. Yami snorted indignantly, even though he was feeling a bit embarrassed himself... Then he remembered exactly _why _he'd exploded like this, and he quickly pursued in a lower tone :

" You can't be serious Yugi ! **Me**, asking **Seto Kaiba **on a date ? You must be delusional ! "

" Really ? And why's that ? "

" Because ! "

Yugi merely raised a brow at him and waited for him to elaborate. The famous, definitive this-is-the-end-of-the-conversation _"because"_ never worked with him.

" Because..." Yami continued reluctantly, " I just can't, Yugi. He'd refuse, I'm sure, and then he'd probably never speak to me again. I just... don't want to risk it. I'm already lucky he seems to think of me as a friend. I mean, he's **Seto Kaiba**, for God's sake ! Gorgeous, smart, rich, I-can-have-anyone-I-want Seto Kaiba ! Why would he ever be interested in **me**, of all people ? "

" Probably for the same reasons that have half the school currently wondering about how and when to ask your hand in marriage " Yugi answered sarcastically. Then he added more forcefully : " Come on, Yami, open your eyes ! You have just as much people at your feet right now, so why are **you** interested solely in Seto Kaiba ? "

" I don't know... I just am. I've been since the first time I saw him "

" My point exactly ! "

Yami stopped walking and glanced at him confusedly. Yugi stopped as well and pursued more gently :

" That's not a crush you have Yami, that's not even an infatuation. It's love. And from what I know so far, it looks like Love with a capital «L» "

Yami stood speechless, not knowing what to answer to that. He'd known, deep down... But hearing it aloud had a lot more weight.

" So you see " Yugi continued, " this is the kind of situation where you have to take risks, Yami. Because if you don't, you'll regret it your whole life. And what makes you so sure he'd say no, anyway ? Kaiba seems interested to me. It's not a secret for anyone he's into boys, and you're the only one in this whole school he's ever spoken to in a civilized manner ! Add to that, you should see the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention ! "

" The way he looks at me ? " Yami echoed.

Yugi nodded with a smile and said :

" Only when **you** are not looking his way, of course. I caught him doing it a few times. If you want my opinion, I think he likes you more than he lets on "

Yami was trying to suppress the hope growing in his heart, with very little success. Seto liked him ? Could it be ? Could Life be so kind as to grant him his greatest wish ? From what Yugi was saying, it appeared so... Could he take the risk ? Was it worth it...?

He thought about Seto, about his incredible blue eyes, his handsome face... Seto's arms, around him, holding him... Seto's lips, brushing against his own... How wonderful it would be. Finally someone to protect him, to love him...

Wait.

If, and only **if** Seto loved anyone, it was Yami. _Yami_, not Atemu. He probably didn't even know who _Atemu_ was. 'Cause if he did... well, there's no way he would be paying attention to Yami right now. What if Seto only liked him because he was good-looking ?

_'No ! I won't go there !' _Yami told himself angrily. _'I accepted this transformation willingly. It was a great opportunity and I took it. Then it was ME who decided to become _Yami_ and stop being _Atemu_ ! It was MY choice, and it was probably a mistake but it's too late to think of that now... But I won't let it stop me from being happy !'_

Feeling a bit better, he took a deep breath and turned back toward Yugi, then he told him with a smile :

" You're right, Yugi. I guess I should take the chance while it presents itself, ne ? "

" Definitely " his brother answered with a matching smile.

" Alright. But... what if he does say no ? "

" You'll never know unless you ask " Yugi retorted, then he added with a reassuring tone : " Don't worry Yami, it's all gonna be fine "

Yami nodded silently. As they resumed their march though, he wished **he** could be as sure as Yugi seemed to be.

o0o

**Mokuba's POV**

" Mark ? " I tried again.

No answer.

" Nathan ? "

Still nothing.

" Martin ? Karl ? Hitoshi ? Leon ? Whitney ? Eiji ? Hiro ? Sam ? Ren ? Yasuki ? Paul ? "

My brother didn't even look up at me and simply continued typing away on his laptop, refusing obstinately to acknowledge my presence.

" Come on, Seto ! " I whined. " Would it kill you to be a little more cooperative ? I'm trying to play matchmaker over here ! "

He raised an eyebrow at my last comment, but had no other reaction. Don't get me wrong, I love my big brother, but he can be so thickheaded sometimes that it makes me want to scream !

We were presently at the Kaiba Corporation building, in my brother's office. It was career day at my school and so I had followed Seto to work. I didn't mind, in fact I thought it was great to escape school ; not that I didn't like it, but I always knew more about the subjects we studied than the teachers, and they refused to let me jump to a higher grade. Anyway... I always loved to come to work with Seto, which I often did as soon as I had a chance. After all, I **was** the co-owner of Kaiba Corp., despite my young age.

Today I had been even more eager to pass the day with Seto, as it gave me the perfect opportunity to pester him about his **obvious **(although he claimed it to be non-existent) «secret crush». But, and I'm sure you could guess, it's damn hard to get information out of my brother when he doesn't want to give it to you. It's been one week and I still got nothing... except the fact that I'm now **certain **there IS a pretty boy behind all this, because Seto practically clams up like an oyster as soon as I broach the subject. Typical Seto-reaction. I bet he thinks I'll give up and leave him alone if he just ignores me the better he can.

Really, I thought he knew me better than that. Seto can be very persistent... but so can I !

" A name, Seto, that's all I'm asking ! " I continued with an exasperated tone. " And don't you dare tell me there is no name to give, 'cause it's awfully obvious you'd be lying ! "

Still no visible reaction other than a twitching brow. I almost punched him right then and there ; instead I settled with frowning at him darkly. I know I was probably being annoying, but I couldn't help it. I just **knew **my brother was in love, and I wanted him to accept it. I wanted him to go find that someone he secretly thought about day and night, and I wanted him to tell them how he felt. I wanted him to start a relationship and go on a date. I wanted him to have someone whom he could trust and confide to, someone he could lean on when things got too hard, someone he could speak to and who would listen. Someone he could love and who would love him in return ; for himself, not for his looks or for his money. I knew he needed it badly, more than he was letting on.

In short, I just wanted him to be happy. Was that so bad ?

I know Seto has never been truly genuinely happy, even if sometimes he pretends to for my sake. I know he's been searching desperately, although probably unconsciously, for someone who would finally be able to make him feel good about himself, about all he has accomplished. A person who would make him feel proud of his achievements in life. A person who'd give a meaning and a goal to his existence, other than me. Someone who would understand him, and whom he could hold at night and kiss in the morning while having every rights to do so.

Sappy ? Maybe a little... Corny ? Definitely. But it's what he wanted to have, and that's what I wanted him to find. God knows he deserved it. But for so long it had all seemed like a meaningless search, like if we were looking for the impossible. Every last men and women who ever pinned after Seto had ulterior motives ; they were in love with his money and reputation really, not with him. They made him even more distrustful about feelings than he already was, even more reticent about getting close to someone. I saw with my own eyes the way his small hope to ever find a person who could love him for himself slowly seeped away into nothing, and it nearly broke my heart. I know he was about to give up, and to be perfectly honest, so was I.

Until one week ago.

I know Seto would not fall in love with just anyone. The reasons for that are all listed above. No, it has to be someone special. I don't even know them and already I want to kiss them, for making that little sparkle of life reappear in my brother's eyes. The problem is, Seto has become so wary of relationships... I don't think he'll be able to engage himself into one without a little push from my side.

Even though, this is getting ridiculous !

" Seto..." I practically growled out (yes I can be scary when I want to... I think it runs in the family). " I'm gonna ask you again, and this time you better answer or you'll be sorry ! What - is - his - name ? "

He finally looked up at me, probably getting the hint that I wasn't joking anymore. It's a mutual thing between us : I know when not to push him, and he knows when not to push me. Now is one of those times.

He sighed and leaned back in his leather chair. For a moment he stayed silent, and I thought he wouldn't answer me, when suddenly he spoke :

" Yami "

That's all he said. One word, one name. Yami. But just from that, I could tell how much he cared already.

It's the way that name escaped his lips, slowly and softly like a sacred prayer. And all the same, it was said proudly and clearly, as if to make sure I would speak it correctly when I said it myself.

Darn, he was into it deep. Up to the neck, I'm sure. And over his head soon, judging by the look on his face.

On my part, I was just about to go join a choir and sing _Alleluia!_ to thank God for this new development. But I figured Seto would probably need therapy if I did that, so I settled for a huge grin.

" Well Seto " I started seriously, taking a seat in front of his desk. " I think we need to have a little talk "

He gave me a suspicious glance, but I just kept grinning.

By the end of this week Seto would have this _Yami_ as a boyfriend or my name wasn't Mokuba Kaiba.

o0o

**Seto's POV**

Tuesday. I hate Tuesdays. In fact, I hate every day of the week, but Tuesdays are the worst. Why ? Because I have Business and Management class at school. You must be wondering what I'm doing in there, when I myself am the youngest CEO to ever manage a multinational company like Kaiba Corp., which by the way is worth several millions. It's rather obvious I know what management is and that I mastered it a long time ago. I know more about its twists and turns than any teacher in Domino High, and probably in all Japan. So what in the world am I doing in Business and Management class ?

Well, in the beginning I took it because I thought it would be interesting. Surely it would be a piece of cake for me to obtain perfect scores in that course. Which was (and still is) true, but what I hadn't foreseen was that our teacher would be such a moron. He understood nothing about management, and half of what he taught was wrong. If I had relied on **his **teachings to run Kaiba Corp., I'd be living on the streets begging for food right now. What an idiot. Sadly I couldn't just drop the course, since it would count as a failure, and Seto Kaiba does not fail. At least, it had never been so easy for me to get a collection of A.

So here I was, walking through the school hallways and heading for _"The Course of Ultimate Boredom" _as I had myself dubbed it. I had finally been able to escape all the fools that usually followed me around (why they did it was beyond me), and I was quite happy with it, when suddenly something much worse intercepted me : girls. Now, I have nothing against girls in general, but _those_ girls are harpies in human disguise. Particularly the one standing at the front of their little group : Tea Gardner.

" Seto " she said sweetly (I inwardly shuddered in disgust). " How pleasant to see you ! Where were you going in such a hurry ? "

" To class " I answered as coldly as I could. " And don't call me Seto "

" But how should I call you then ? " she asked while blinking cutely. Her friends giggled behind her.

Please, someone shoot me now.

We'd had this conversation hundreds of times already, but this stupid bimbo still couldn't seem to get the message. No one was allowed to call me by my first name, except Mokuba. It was one of the main rules if someone wanted to speak to me without getting hurt.

" Call me Kaiba " I told Tea icily, resisting the urge to snarl at her.

" But Seto, I want us to be friends ! " she started with a sultry voice. " Friends do not talk to each other using family names. And who knows, you and me could become so much more... It would be so great, don't you think ? "

That's it, I was going to punch her.

I was honestly about to do just that when suddenly, I heard another voice coming from behind me. That voice was just as annoying as Tea's and did nothing to sooth my nerves, but the name it spoke got my complete attention in less than a second...

" But Yami ! "

I turned around, setting my gaze on the small group of four who stood in front of the lockers. The one who had spoken was Joey Wheeler, or the mutt, as I liked to call him. Behind him stood his tall brown-haired friend whose name I'd never bothered to learn, and beside him was Yugi Mutou. But what really caught my gaze was the lean figure presently grabbing a book from the open locker : Yami.

It truly amazed me how each time I looked at him he seemed to become even more beautiful, even more ethereal. It literally took my breath away.

Damn, Mokuba was right. I had fallen, and I'd fallen hard.

I still couldn't believe the talk he gave me yesterday. According to him, it was imperative that I asked Yami out as soon as possible. He gave me all the pros and the cons, insisting that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that I'd better grab it while I could. I still wasn't convinced, but then he pointed out that if I didn't act soon, chances were pretty good that someone _else_ would ask Yami to be their boyfriend.

I remember I had to fight the urge to snap at him for mentioning such a thing. I'm not sure what I felt at that moment, but I know I didn't like it. A mix of anger, sadness and - strangely - desperation. It was so strong, it made me want to run to Yami and grab him before anyone else could even _think_ of touching him that way. Luckily for my dignity I was able to bring my emotions back into control, but that didn't stop them from slowly torturing me from the inside. Mokuba (that little runt was enjoying himself way too much... I should've grounded him) was helpful enough - not - to name the feeling for me : jealousy.

Me, jealous ? Pfff... Although, looking at Yami now, I'm seriously starting to consider the possibility...

" Come on Joey, it's not so bad " he was saying right now (damn I love his voice...). " It's just that I took it already, and I don't really feel like redoing it all a second time. I hadn't noticed when they first gave me my schedule "

" But it was great to have you in the same English class as me ! Now I'll be all alone ! "

What a stupid baka.

" Now now, don't be like that " Yami answered with a smile. " Besides, I think you just liked to have me there because then you could copy my homework "

" That's not true, man ! Well, maybe a little tiny bit... But I was serious when I said you're the only friend I have in that class ! "

" Why don't you work with Duke ? Oh, and I think Bakura was in that class too "

" Duke Devlin and Ryou Bakura ? Are you crazy ? Those two stuck-up jerks ? "

" Well, they seemed quite nice to me..."

" That's 'cause they're flirting with you, Yami " the nameless guy retorted. " Of course they'd act nice around you "

" Oh..." Yami said softly. He seemed disappointed.

On my side, I was practically seething. Devlin and Bakura, flirting with **my** Yami ? They were so dead.

Wait, 'my' Yami ? Where did that come from ?

Boy, I AM jealous ! Mokuba will never let me hear the end of this...

" So, what other course did you take instead, Yami ? " Yugi asked, bringing my attention back to them.

" Business and Management "

My eyes widened. Damn, this is too good to be true... Now we have all of our classes but one together.

" Ew, that course is dead boring ! I feel for you, pal " the mutt exclaimed.

" It can't be that bad " Yami said. " I'm not so sure where the class is though... I've never had courses in that part of the school "

Oh, this is rich. A little voice sounding suspiciously like Mokuba's started to yell at me in my head, telling me to stop staring like an idiot and go offer my help to Yami. I told it to shut up. My feet had other ideas though, and suddenly I was walking toward Yami, leaving behind Tea and her friends who were still trying to get my attention (harpies, I'm telling you). I wonder if she realizes Yami saved her (even if it was without his knowledge) from getting punched in the nose.

Then I was in front of him. His friends looked at me in confusion (the mutt with annoyed anger), probably wondering why I of all people would come speak to them. Well, they can keep wondering, 'cause I'm not here for them.

" Hello Yami " I heard myself say. Good, my voice was firm and calm, reflecting nothing of my inner turmoil.

" Kaiba " he greeted me back, a shy smile on his lips.

I almost melted right then and there. Does he not realize what he's doing to me ?

Probably not.

" I heard you didn't know where to find the Business and Management class " I pursued. " I can take you there if you want "

" Oh, yes... that would be great. Are you in that class too ? "

Is that a little hopeful tone in his voice, or is it my lovesick mind playing tricks on me ?

" Yes, as a matter of fact I am " I answered, always as calmly.

" Oh, well, that's... that's good. I was afraid there wouldn't be anyone I knew in that course "

He was smiling at me and, to tell the truth, I had to struggle very hard not to smile back. God forbid I did that here, in the school halls where everybody could see me. My reputation would be ruined. It was bad enough that the mutt and the other two were presently staring between Yami and me with a look of total bewilderment on their faces. It was quite amusing, in fact...

" So, shall we be going ? " I asked Yami.

He nodded and closed his locker.

" Bye guys ! " he told his unresponsive friends before coming to stand beside me.

I took the lead and we marched toward our next class.

o0o

**Normal POV**

Tea glared as she watched Kaiba and Yami walk away together. Seto had totally ignored her to go speak with that little Egyptian slut !

_'This is not over Yami. You'll pay for taking what is mine, mark my words !'_

She whirled around and stalked off, leaving her friends stumbling to catch up with her.

o0o

For the first time since he'd taken this course, Kaiba was quite enjoying his Business and Management class. All he had to do was totally ignore the teacher (as usual) and focus his attention on Yami, who was sitting in the desk just beside his. From his point of vue, the spiky-haired beauty was a much more interesting subject to study.

After a while, Yami started to feel someone's gaze on him. Deciding to test Yugi's theory, he turned toward Seto, and was quite surprised to see the taller boy blink and look away quickly as if he hadn't just been caught staring. Yami blushed and turned his eyes back toward the front of the class. He couldn't believe it. Yugi had been right !

_'Oh my God... Oh my God... What do I do now ? Ok, calm down... Yugi said I should ask him out... and I agreed... and Seto does seem to be interested... But what if I'm wrong ? What if I ask him and he just laughs at me ? Or worse, hates me ? Oh God... I can't do it... I don't want him to hate me. I don't think I could stand it... Not from him... God, what do I do...?'_

Kaiba looked back at Yami with concern ; the boy seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and not very good ones judging by his worried expression. _'Is it because of me ? Because he caught me staring at him ?' _Seto surely hoped not. He didn't mean to make Yami uncomfortable, nor did he mean to frighten him. He was wondering about a way to ask Yami what was wrong without the teacher noticing them, when suddenly the bell ringed, announcing the end of the course.

The students escaped happily, the teacher right behind them. It was now lunch time and no one wanted to miss it.

Seto waited for Yami to gather his things, then he approached him, noticing he still had that worried expression on his face. Softly, he asked :

" Yami, are you alright ? "

Yami actually jumped, as if he'd forgotten Kaiba was there, then he answered without looking up at him :

" Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask ? "

He sounded nervous and unsure, his voice trembling the slightest bit.

" I don't know..." Seto told him. " You seem... upset, for some reason "

" I..." Yami started, his eyes darting everywhere but toward the other teen. That's when he noticed they were now alone in the classroom.

" Yami, look at me " he heard Kaiba say, gently but firmly.

Reluctantly, he slowly raised his eyes toward Seto's own blue ones. He swore he could drown in those eyes...

" Are you sure you're alright ? " Seto asked him again, sounding concerned.

The tone of his voice calmed Yami a little. It was obvious Kaiba cared about him, if even just a bit, so maybe he wouldn't get too mad if Yami asked him out... Maybe he would even forgive him. All that of course assuming Seto didn't like him in return, 'cause if he did, well there would be no such problems.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Yami gathered his courage and started hesitantly :

" Seto... I mean Kaiba..."

" You can call me Seto " the young CEO interrupted, surprising even himself. But he liked how his name sounded when Yami was saying it.

Yami gave him a grateful smile and started up again :

" Seto, I... I would like to ask you... I mean, I've been wondering if you... hum, maybe, if you'd like..." _'God I sound pathetic !' _Yami thought, stopping his babbling before he could further humiliate himself.

By now he was so nervous he was almost trembling, his heart racing in his chest like a frightened animal. Unable to withstand Seto's gaze any longer, he turned away, fidgeting with his hands. He'd never be able to do this...

Suddenly there was another pair of hands holding his, and he turned back to Seto with surprise only to meet this amazing set of cerulean blues eyes watching him patiently, waiting for him to continue. Seriously, he'd never get enough of those eyes... And right now they were doing a wonderful job to calm him, just looking at him curiously without urging him on. Even though, Yami knew he'd never be able to speak what he wanted to say aloud, so instead he decided to show it, praying to God that Seto's reaction wouldn't be too bad...

He gulped and whispered :

" Please don't hate me..."

Kaiba frowned in puzzlement. Why would he hate Yami ? How could he ? He didn't think it was possible anywhere in this plain of existence...

Yami just gulped louder and moved before he could lose the guts to do so... He raised on his tiptoes (Seto was so tall) and softly brushed his lips against Kaiba's.

The CEO was so stunned he could barely register what was happening. Then he felt Yami's lips on his, warm and hesitant, and it was the most incredible feeling in the world. Never did he want it to end... Sadly it did, much too soon, and he was left wondering if it had just been a dream, an illusion of his greatest desire. The thought almost crushed him.

Then he saw Yami, still standing before him and his beautiful ruby eyes full of tears (although none were shed yet), and Seto wondered what he'd done to cause such a heartbreaking reaction.

Then it hit him.

It wasn't what he'd done, it was what he _didn't _do.

He hadn't kissed back.

He'd been so stunned and awed, it just hadn't occurred to him right away. It certainly wasn't because he didn't want to. But he knew how his reaction - or lack of it - must have looked to Yami, which explained the tears. He had to correct that mistake right now.

" I'm sorry..." he heard Yami say with a very little voice. " I... I thought... I... just wanted you to kn-know that..."

A tear finally escaped, rolling down his smooth cheek, and Kaiba cursed himself to Hell and back for being the cause of it. Slowly, he raised his hand and put one finger over Yami's lips, silencing him. The boy swallowed and met his gaze cautiously, sniffling a little. Seto cupped Yami's cheek with his other hand, gently wiping the tear away with his thumb. Then he bent his head and with all the care in the world, locked his mouth with Yami's once more.

This time he made sure to participate actively, while in the back of his mind he was cheering and practically whooping with joy for finally being able to kiss Yami. It was even better than everything he'd imagined (and he'd imagined quite a lot) ; he ran his lips over the soft ones under his, savoring their taste. He licked them with his tongue a little, coaxing them to open for him. He didn't recall ever being so gentle while kissing. Usually he was quick and passionate. But not this time. No, this time was special. The one he was kissing was special. Seto wanted to make it last as long as possible.

He felt Yami beginning to respond, shyly at first, then with a bit more assurance. The smaller youth raised his arms and passed them around Seto's neck, after what he finally opened his mouth and allowed the CEO to slip his tongue into it. But Kaiba still didn't quicken his pace, taking his time to explore this hot cavern he'd been invited in, mapping it in his mind and storing it with his best memories. He sneaked his own arms around Yami's thin waist and deepened the kiss, growling in pleasure when he felt the other's tongue battling with his own. He was soaring, floating on Cloud Nine and he didn't ever want to leave.

Sadly every human being needs to breathe eventually, and so after what seemed like an eternity Seto and Yami parted, their face flushed and their eyes shining. They didn't let go of each other and they had no desire to do so. Yami rested his head on Kaiba's chest, a huge smile dancing on his face. If this was a dream, he didn't ever want to wake up...

Seto rested his chin over Yami's head and just held him for a while, his thoughts swirling and his mind still trying to process exactly what had just happened. Soon he was thinking clearly again, and he felt like a changed man ; his heart was beating fast, he was smiling lightly and there was a warmth inside him that had never been there before. It was the best feeling ever, and he knew he had Yami to thank for that.

He loosened his hold and brought a hand under Yami's chin ; he grabbed it gently and raised the other's face toward his, locking their gazes together. The twinkle he saw in those ruby orbs made him want to kiss Yami again right then and there. Instead he just said :

" Yami, would you consider becoming my boyfriend ? "

Yami smiled at him brightly and answered :

" I already considered it. I just... I didn't think someone like you would be interested in someone like me... I mean, it's obvious you can have anyone you want..."

He sounded unsure now, and Kaiba wouldn't have that.

" You think so little of yourself " he said softly.

Yami ducked his head in shame... or he tried, since Seto was still holding his chin. He settled for biting his bottom lip, regarding Kaiba uncertainly. This one merely grinned and put their foreheads together. He released Yami's chin and passed his thumb over his bottom lip, forcing Yami to remove his teeth. Then he told him :

" Well, if I can _have anyone I want_, as you said, does it mean I can have you ? "

" I... I would like that very much " Yami answered.

" Good " Seto retorted. " Because you're the only one I want "

Yami smiled and hugged him even tighter. Seto simply reveled in the new feeling ; at the moment he was the happiest man on Earth, and he still couldn't fully believe his luck. He couldn't wait to tell Mokuba. He knew his brother would be overjoyed, and that he would like Yami right away.

How Seto was going to stop him from doing something like planning his and Yami's honeymoon, that was the real problem !

* * *

**A/N : Terribly sappy, I know. Come on, I'm sure you like it as much as I do ! Anyway... was it any good ? Worth the unforgivable wait I put you through ?**

**Raiu : **Nothing YOU write will ever be worth that much.

**Humph... Well thanks for the boost of confidence !**

**Raiu : **My pleasure.

**I was being _sarcastic_, Raiu !**

**Raiu : **Oh, too bad.

**Grrrrr... Well, could you please review, everyone ? I'd really like to know what you thought of this chapter !**

**Akari : **(somewhere far off in Yaoi-Romance Land) I thought it was absolutely dreamy !

**Raiu : **(gags) Someone, just kill me now.

**With pleasure ! (takes out a handgun) Any last words ?**

**Raiu : **(takes a step back) I was being _sarcastic_ !

**Oh, too bad. (starts chasing after Raiu)**

**Akari : **Please send reviews !


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